Sioux Empire Today

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced the sentencing of Lloyd Emerson Elk, a resident of Kyle, South Dakota, to 50 years in federal prison. Elk was convicted on multiple charges including four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, one count of abusive sexual contact, and one count of witness tampering. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler on October 17, 2024.

Elk, aged 48, received a sentence of 50 years for each count of aggravated sexual abuse, followed by ten years of supervised release. He is also required to pay a $600 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Additionally, he was sentenced to five years for abusive sexual contact and 25 years for witness tampering; these sentences will run concurrently.

Indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024 and found guilty after a two-day trial in July 2024, Elk's case highlighted his history of violence. Judge Theeler remarked on this during sentencing: “Crimes against children are some of the most heinous crimes . . . Adults in positions of power can abuse that position, take away the innocence of a child and hurt them.”

Elk previously served as a tribal law enforcement officer and committed repeated acts of sexual abuse against his stepdaughter when she was between five and seven years old. He used domestic violence tactics to control her family through physical and emotional means. Elk threatened his victim with harm if she disclosed the abuse. In late 2023, upon revealing her ordeal, it emerged that Elk had similarly abused another young girl in Idaho in 1998 while serving as a police officer there.

U.S. Attorney Ramsdell commented on the case: “Every instance of child sexual abuse is simultaneously shocking and heartbreaking... It took great courage for the victims in this case to come forward with the truth.” She expressed gratitude towards FBI partners who conducted the investigation leading to Elk’s conviction.

The FBI investigated this case with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Lindrooth and Megan Poppen prosecuting it. Following his sentencing, Elk was placed into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.