RAPID CITY, S.D. – A Rapid City man was sentenced to 70 years in the South Dakota State Penitentiary Tuesday for the repeated rape and exploitation of a child. The sentence for 34-year-old Tell Cadotte was handed down by Judge Robert Gusinsky, who cited Cadotte’s high risk to reoffend and the need to protect “other young girls.”
Cadotte received an additional 10 years for sexual contact with a child under 16, to be served concurrently with the 70-year sentence.
A Pennington County jury convicted Cadotte in March on nine counts of first-degree rape. The court found the abuse began in 2016 when the victim was six years old and continued for two years while Cadotte was babysitting.
The abuse came to light in 2021 after the victim disclosed it to her mother. The subsequent investigation uncovered hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material on Cadotte’s cell phone, some depicting the victim in this case.
Senior Deputy State’s Attorney Rachel Lindsay stated the sentence “reflects the seriousness of the crimes and the importance of protecting children from predators like Cadotte.” Lindsay also expressed gratitude to the victim for coming forward and to the investigators who worked on the case.
Cadotte was previously sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2024 for receipt of child pornography.
The state case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy State’s Attorneys Rachel Lindsay and Natalie Gronlund. This sentencing marks a significant step in addressing child exploitation in the Black Hills region of South Dakota.
