Rapid City Man Indicted on Child Pornography Charges

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.

Caleb Oien, age 22, was charged on March 20, 2018.  Oien appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on March 26, 2018, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  The penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 5 years up to 20 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum of 5 years up to lifetime supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The charges relate to Oien knowingly receiving and possessing images of child pornography between July 2017 and January 2018 at Rapid City.  The charges are merely an accusation and Oien is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins is prosecuting the case.

Oien was released pending trial.  A trial date has not been set.