New Underwood Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jonathan A. Kobes, sitting in district court in Rapid City, South Dakota, has sentenced a New Underwood, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography with a Prior Child Pornography Conviction. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2024.

Kent Joy, 48, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised. Joy was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and a $5,000 special assessment to the Victims of Trafficking Fund. Joy will be also required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Joy was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography with a Prior Child Pornography Conviction and Possession of Child Pornography with a Prior Child Pornography Conviction by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 1, 2023.

The conviction stems from Joy, a person previously convicted for a child pornography offense, knowingly receiving child pornography between April 18, 2018, and September 19, 2022.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.

Joy was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.