We don’t know and won’t know how much coronavirus spread due to the Sturgis Rally. But we do have figures on another pathology that the motorcycle event brings to South Dakota each year: the South Dakota’s U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced yesterday that a state-federal sting operation busted six rallygoers for trying to have sex with kids and two more guys for trying to sell kids for sex:
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted a joint sex trafficking operation during the 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The operation began on August 7, 2020, and continued through August 13, 2020.
As a result, the following eight men were arrested:
Robert Lee Goodwill, Jr., 20, Rapid City, SD – Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor
Cody Wayne Hopkins, 29, Montgomery, PA – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Michael Ray Hudson, 32, Rapid City, SD – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Travis John McDonald, 28, Rapid City, SD – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
William Nicholas Riley, 60, Sturgis, SD – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Kevin William Clements, 22, Claysville, PA – Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor
Darren Wilber Harrison, 25, Rapid City, SD – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Christopher Covey Dale Truax, 33, Rapid City, SD – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet [U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota, press release, 2020.08.18].
Pro-Trump conspiracy theorists have been pushing utter baloney about liberals and coronavirus masks contributing to child abductions and trafficking. But the Sturgis Rally, a bastion of neither liberals nor masks, exacerbates child trafficking in South Dakota every year:
The reality is that whenever there is an event that attracts a large number of men, there is a market for some form of sex trafficking. And, while sex trafficking exists around the nation, there’s something distinctive about South Dakota. The peaceful, homegrown mentality that exists here has made it an excellent “cover” for sex trafficking.
…In the past few years:
- There were 30 federal sex trafficking cases in South Dakota between 2009-2014.
- 9 arrests were associated with the 2013 Sturgis rally.
- 5 indictments came from the 2014 Sturgis rally.
- 8 arrests were made during the 2016 Sturgis rally.
- 9 arrests were made during the 2017 Sturgis rally.
- 6 arrests were made during the 2018 Sturgis rally.
- 11 arrests were made during the 2019 Sturgis rally.
- Victims ranged from 12 to 15 years of age.
- Dozens of girls and women have been discovered as victims of sex trafficking in South Dakota [“Sex Trafficking During the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally,” Native Hope, retrieved 2020.08.19].
…and just like coronavirus, the child sex trafficking disproportionately threatens minority communities:
But on the good side, maybe it’s easier for the cops to catch the creepos when we crowd them all in one small space.
I guess we can clearly see who comes to the “rally” a bunch of sexual perverts who abuse children. The rally’s name should be changed to the Grand Old Pedophile rally. No amount of a deadly pandemic can keep the horny crowd away from the lure of having sex with a child…, just following what Epstein and trump have done.
As Cory shows, this is not something new, this goes on each and every year all year long.
This story reports that
If true, this is quite distressing. Yet, over the last few years in the stories I have read about Rally arrests for sex trafficking, it seems that most, or possibly all, of the reported “victims” were law enforcement officers posing as children. Law enforcement seemed to always charge defendants with attempts to commit the crime. This seems to be the case in the reports of arrests this year. Anyone know how many actual victims of completed crimes there were?
One child would be way too many
Slightly OT, but, here we go….
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/19/us/sturgis-south-dakota-rally-coronavirus-trnd/index.html
Guy in a tavern for hours tested pos at home for covid. No idea how many may have been infested and it is highly unlikely he would be the only one with a lack of covid protection protocol.
Other than the two pa guys, everyone else appears to be local addresses.
Makes me wonder what’s going on the rest of the year out west.
Not a heroic bust but nonetheless a bust. Where are the real saviors to the teens prob being trafficked during the rally in the camps and other places. Oh maybe it’s easier for enforcements to sit behind computers because of covid.
BCB, I think we’ve discussed the problematic nature of stings previously. I wonder if any studies have established the ratio of potential kiddie-diddlers caught in stings to actual kiddie-diddlers.
T, indeed: do those local dudes just use the rally as an opportunity to let loose with their pathology that they otherwise keep hidden during the quiet rest of the year in South Dakota, or are their solicitations a regular part of their weekly/daily behavior which only get caught at rally time because that’s the only time South Dakota law enforcement makes a push to catch them?
Cory, I agree that T’s question is important. While genuine crime prevention seems to be a worthwhile endeavor, only reading about cases and arrests that involve fake victims makes one wonder about the effectiveness of this tactic in finding and stopping people who actually have committed the crime.
Is law enforcement really preventing crimes from occurring, or is law enforcement inducing attempts to commit crimes by providing fake opportunities with fake potential victims? Convictions used to require proof of a predisposition to commit such crimes, but that seems to have pretty much disappeared by shifting the burden to someone charged with the offense to prove they were not so predisposed.
https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/criminal-defense/criminal-defense-case/entrapment-police-create-criminal.htm#:~:text=Entrapment
Surely there must be some actual victims of this obnoxious crime – what are we doing to protect and help them? Perhaps some of those who are arrested for attempting the crime with a fake victim have committed it in the past – if so, where are their victims?
The disappointing thing about the stings during the rally is that people think that it’s only during the rally that sex trafficking and sex trafficking of minors only occurs, and it’s people from out of our area. While I don’t have hard data, it’s my feeling that this occurs everyday in every county in the nation. It would be interesting to run a sting during a random time of year in an east river county and see what you get. bearcreekbat, I get your entrapment argument, but I don’t think this is the first time for all of these nine men. Watch “To catch a Predator with Chris Hanson” to learn a bit on how these guys act.
West, even if it is the 1st time for some defendants, any willingness to sexually exploit someone at any age is troubling.
The people working hardest and most effectively to combat sex trafficking are the women who staff domestic violence shelters. They not only take victims in and literally protect them, they tirelessly advocate for them at all governmental levels and educate law enforcement on the subject. The women working in the shelters are the experts, learning directly from those involved. They are most effective in the war against perps.
If you want to know more about sex trafficking in your area, ask your nearest shelter. They’ll know or know who does know.
Adults who crave sexual acts with children are completely repellent.
WAPO had a story about Sturgis and covid cases, but alas and alack, it was hiding behind a paywall.
bearcreekbat, are you changing your position? In your previous post you stated “makes one wonder about the effectiveness of this tactic in finding and stopping people who actually have committed the crime.” Maybe I misread that, but it sounded like you think these men never made any actions towards being a sexual predator before this sting. I agree that one offence is too many, but my point was that I doubt that this was the first time for these men.
Debbo, working at a domestic shelter has to be at times a very dangerous and always draining and rewarding position. At the same time, I attended a presentation a couple years ago by the main person at the Pennington County Sheriffs office that is involved in investigating the enticement of minors, I can’t imagine doing that hard work everyday and not wanting to just shoot these people rather than put them through the courts.
President Trump’s asylum policy is delivering children into the hands of sex traffickers:
https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/president-trump-is-the-child-trafficker-in-chief/
Again, on key issues, it seems to matter to this administration ONLY IF the people we are talking about look like the President — not “foreign.”
West, I don’t think I have changed my position. I can only speculate, but I would not at all be surprised if some of the individuals arrested had never before committed such an offense, especially the youngest of the accused. Three of those arrested were 25 or younger. I do know that it is difficult to accurately understand the history and motivations of people in general, including those accused of attempting to commit a crime. Each individual has a personal history that will affect his future decisions. And even every recidivist has a first time.
Mercy did the body count take a jump this very day?
United States
Coronavirus Cases:
5,781,567
Deaths:
178,750
Appears to be around 1700 so far.
Booker’s Fault
I think most, if not all of these abusers, have been abused themselves, that’s the tragedy. The only way it ends is for treatment, mental health.
trump’s fault Mr. grudznick, and you know it.
Ol’ Booker and his sis will be heading on back to maw GNOem right quick like. Schools are a bust now. “Miami-Dade schools say almost 600 staff have tested positive for coronavirus” Even if you’re a prayer kinda of folk, it isn’t gonna prevent old Covid from getting you.
Bodies keep right on a counting, another milestone or two or three today….
United States
Coronavirus Cases:
5,790,483
Deaths:
179,030
Wow, mfi, 200,000 killed by trump virus before Labor Day…Chilling. Soon, we will catch up to American losses in World War II. Meanwhile, our trumpian senators collect the lint from their belly buttons…wonder if they eat it, while saying nothing. Not even thoughts and prayers…
Very unfair to drumpf. He wants to stop testing so no one gets sick and people just keep dying to spite him. Have dead people no consideration for a desperate joke of a potus?
No doubt they all vote against drumpf.
Mr. jerry, you are a South Dakotan, born and bred, living in South Dakota, voting in South Dakota, making your good living and spending your hard earned cash right here in South Dakota, right?
I kno a predator when i see one grdz
Last body count call of the evening…
United States
Coronavirus Cases:
5,796,693
Deaths:
179,198
Remember, this is on ly a hoax.
When Sen. Harris said, “I know a predator when I see one,” the country knew she was referring to the orange predator. I agree.
Out West, it was actually easier dealing with perps when I worked in DV because I was so focused on caring for the woman and children. I get more outraged now, when another murder/suicide is reported in the press. Being female in the USA is dangerous. it is in other parts of the world too, but American men are supposed to be “civilized.”
Minnesota has begun reporting numbers that were infected in Sturgis.
“Fifteen Minnesotans who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this month have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, including one state resident hospitalized with COVID-19, state health officials say.”
Strib paywall
is.gd/mAm0XZ
14 were visitors, 1 was a temporary bartender. The visitors said they were at many different locations in and around Sturgis. The bartender said he was often among the patrons at the tables.
North Dakota lists 7 Sturgis infections.
Ms. leslie, the accent of your spelling makes it difficult for grudznick to understand your typing, but what is it and why are you asking? You seem deranged, which is a condition I am generally good at the dealings with, but you seem more disjointed than the usual. Can you clarify your question and ask it in a normal, human way?
Mr. grudznick, I was born and raised in western South Dakota. I can sing like a prairie dog and growl like a badger. I was inducted here in Sioux Falls many years ago and left immediately for Fort Lewis Washington and then on to other scenic places that were not Scenic, South Dakota (I still miss Twila, she was a good old gal). I have lived the life here and have spent the hard earned money that I worked for. I do vote here and will vote for Joe Biden/Kamala Harris in November. I look very much forward to Cory’s insightful descriptions of ballot measures before the vote. I will vote early and recommend you to do the same. Wash your hands, not only after doing your big job, but throughout the day as a matter of practice until this trump virus is whipped like the cur hisownself.
Mr. jerry, grudznick will not be voting for Mr. Trump, right there righter than right along with you, young sir.
When they move the state line over to the Hartford exit, I hope you will remain happy in the people’s republic of Minnesota, and don’t let go of your badlands root growth.