Box Elder Man Sentenced for Attempted Possession of Child Pornography

Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Box Elder, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Possession of Child Pornography was sentenced on October 25, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.

Brennan John Hauk, age 42, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.  Hauk was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and a $5,000 special assessment to the Victims of Trafficking Fund.  Hauk will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Hauk was arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2019 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting online predators.  Following multiple online communications with a person Hauk believed to be a 15-year-old boy, but who was in fact an undercover agent, he proceeded to request nude photographs and negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts.  When Hauk went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.

Hauk was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.