United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced the sentencing of Gerber David Santos-Gonzalez, a 26-year-old man from Guatemala, by U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol. Santos-Gonzalez was convicted of attempted enticement of a minor using the internet and attempted sex trafficking of a child.
Santos-Gonzalez was indicted in April 2024 and found guilty after a jury trial in October 2024. On January 13, 2025, he received a sentence of 10 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Additionally, he must pay a special assessment of $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.
The conviction relates to an incident on March 12, 2024, where Santos-Gonzalez used Facebook and Facebook Messenger to arrange to meet with what he believed was a 15-year-old girl for sex in exchange for $100. The girl turned out to be an undercover law enforcement officer, leading to his arrest when he attempted the meeting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
This 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 combines resources from federal, state, and local levels to apprehend individuals exploiting children while identifying and rescuing victims.
The investigation involved several agencies including Homeland Security Investigations; South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; police departments from Sioux Falls, Watertown, Tea; Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office; Lincoln County Sheriff's Office; and South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb led the prosecution.
Following his sentencing, Santos-Gonzalez was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.