A Rapid City man has been sentenced to federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler handed down the sentence on November 18, 2024, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell.
Patrick Left Hand Bull, aged 51, received a sentence of 27 months in federal prison. This will be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Left Hand Bull was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024 and pleaded guilty on August 28, 2024. His requirement to register as a sex offender stems from a previous federal felony conviction for Abusive Sexual Contact in February 2014.
In March 2024, Left Hand Bull updated his address with the sex offender registry to the Cornerstone Rescue Mission in Rapid City but failed to update his address after leaving the mission between April and May of that year.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves collaboration among federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuting the case. Following sentencing, Left Hand Bull was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.