Belle Fourche Man Sentenced For Commercial Sex Trafficking

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Belle Fourche, South Dakota, man convicted of Commercial Sex Trafficking was sentenced on February 3, 2015, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Jerry Lane Golliher, age 32, who was convicted following a federal jury trial in Rapid City in September 2014, was sentenced to 15 years in custody, 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Golliher was one of nine men who were arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2013 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting persons willing to pay to have sex with underage girls obtained through the Internet. All nine men were indicted for Commercial Sex Trafficking.

The conviction stemmed from Golliher responding to a Craigslist.com advertisement posted by Division of Criminal Investigation undercover agents, which purported to offer young girls for sex. Following several emails with a person Golliher believed to be associated with a 13-year old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, he proceeded to negotiate the time and place they would meet, as well as the price he would pay, which was $150.  Golliher then showed up at the negotiated time and place with sufficient currency and confirmed he was there to have sex with the minor in exchange for money.

The undercover operation and arrests were a joint effort between the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Collins and Ben Patterson prosecuted the case.

Golliher was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal's Service.