United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Mission, South Dakota man has been sentenced for abusive sexual contact with a child. The sentencing was delivered by U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte on March 4, 2025.
David Paxton, aged 72, received a sentence of 12 years in federal prison. This will be followed by five years of supervised release. Additionally, he is required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Paxton was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2022 and pleaded guilty on January 3, 2024. His conviction relates to incidents occurring between August 24, 2017, and July 31, 2021, in Todd County, South Dakota. During this period, Paxton molested a child aged between five and eight years old on at least one occasion within the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
The prosecution of this case fell under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Attorney’s Office due to the Major Crimes Act. This federal statute requires certain violent crimes in Indian Country to be prosecuted federally rather than at the state level.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates efforts from federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The FBI conducted the investigation into this matter with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson handling the prosecution.
Paxton has been granted permission to self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service by June 2, 2025.