United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Sioux Falls man for attempted possession of child pornography. The sentencing occurred on July 15, 2025.
Elliott Anderson, 28, received a sentence of two years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2022 and pleaded guilty on April 7, 2025.
The conviction arose from incidents between March 7 and March 8, 2022, when Anderson attempted to possess materials containing images of child pornography. During this period, law enforcement agents conducted a joint undercover child exploitation/human trafficking operation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. On March 7, Anderson contacted what he believed was a 15-year-old female via the online application MeetMe and text messages on his cell phone. However, it was a law enforcement officer working undercover. Anderson requested photographs of sexually explicit conduct from the undercover persona.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children and rescue victims.
Anderson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
