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Rapid City Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison on Child Pornography Charges

Official court records state that 22-year-old Jesse Luiz Jaso was sentenced following his conviction in federal district court.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 19, 2026, 1:52 p.m. ET
Developing · checked 2h ago

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

We last searched for new coverage of this at Aug 19, 2026, 2:13 p.m. ET — checked 2h ago.

According to official court records published by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota on August 19, 2026, U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier 22-year-old Jesse Luiz Jaso of Rapid City, South Dakota, on August 14, 2026. Jaso was to five years in federal prison for each count, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently, followed by five years of supervised release. He was convicted of Distribution of Child Pornography, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography. Official records state that Jaso was ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, a $1,000 fine, and will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Jaso was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024 and found guilty of all counts on May 21, 2026, following a 2-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City. Records note he was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. According to the official records, the case began in February 2023 when a Rapid City Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Detective received a Cybertip from Snapchat. Law enforcement learned through the investigation and search and seizure of Jaso's phone that he had been communicating online, purchasing child pornography, and soliciting others to exchange child pornography. The case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen under Project Safe Childhood.

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  1. Version 119 Aug 2026, 17:52current

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