A Beresford, South Dakota man has been sentenced to over 33 years in federal prison for the receipt and distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier delivered the sentence on March 10, 2025.
Theodore John Jungbauer, aged 61, received a sentence of 33 years and four months. Upon release, he will be subject to supervised release for life and must register as a sex offender. Additionally, Jungbauer was ordered to pay $33,000 in restitution to victims and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Jungbauer's conviction followed his indictment by a federal grand jury in October 2023. He entered a guilty plea on November 12, 2024.
The charges against Jungbauer arose from his activities on the dark web between December 13, 2021, and August 24, 2023. His illegal conduct was discovered by law enforcement officials in Australia who alerted Homeland Security Investigations after identifying that Jungbauer attempted to distribute his collection of child pornography online. The collection included 3,695 files containing images and videos of child sexual abuse materials.
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 brings together resources from federal, state, and local levels to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The investigation was conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation alongside Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb led the prosecution.
Following sentencing, Jungbauer was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.