Rapid City Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet

United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet was sentenced on February 28, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.

Christopher Truax, age 35, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Truax will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Truax was arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators.  Following multiple chats and text messages with a person Truax believed to be a 13-year old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, he proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts.  When Truax 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, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.

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