A Sioux Falls man, Jayden Debevec, aged 29, has been found guilty of attempted enticement of a minor using the internet. The verdict was delivered on January 10, 2025, following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced the conviction.
Debevec faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and could potentially be sentenced to life in federal prison. He may also incur a $250,000 fine. Upon release from prison, Debevec will be under supervised release for at least five years and possibly for life. Additionally, he is required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The charges against Debevec originated from an indictment by a federal grand jury in March 2023. The case involved Debevec initiating communication with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl on an online dating site. The conversation became sexual in nature, and Debevec suggested meeting for a sexual encounter. When he arrived at the designated meeting location, law enforcement officers arrested him. It was later revealed that he had been conversing with an undercover officer posing as the minor.
This case is part of an undercover operation aimed at identifying individuals interested in engaging in sexual activities with minors within the community. It also falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including Homeland Security Investigations, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth E. Ebert-Webb and Beau Blouin led the prosecution.
A presentence investigation has been ordered for Debevec and no sentencing date has been set yet. He remains in custody under the U.S. Marshals Service.