Rapid City Man Indicted on Child Pornography Charges

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

Matthew Buchko, age 38, was charged on February 18, 2021.  Buchko appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on March 3, 2021, 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 Buchko knowingly receiving and possessing images of child pornography between September 2019 and February 2020 at Rapid City.  The charges are merely an accusation and Buchko 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.

Buchko was detained pending trial.  A trial date has been set for May 11, 2021.