United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced the indictment of a Rapid City man, Jerry Lamont, on federal charges related to child pornography. The 60-year-old was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025 and appeared before Daneta L. Wollmann on February 7, where he pleaded not guilty.
Lamont faces charges for the receipt and possession of child pornography. If convicted, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, with the possibility of up to 20 years in custody. Additionally, he may be fined up to $250,000 and could receive supervised release ranging from five years to life. A $100 fee per count is also required for the Federal Crime Victims Fund, along with potential restitution.
The allegations against Lamont include uploading at least four pictures and 22 videos of child pornography to his Dropbox account between January and December 2024. The materials reportedly show children as young as toddlers being sexually abused.
These charges are part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse since its launch in 2006. The project coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The investigation is being led by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox is handling the prosecution.
Currently, Lamont is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service with a trial scheduled for April 15, 2025.