PIERRE, S.D. – Authorities say four men were arrested this past week after a joint sex-trafficking and child exploitation operation conducted during the 2025 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
The operation resulted in federal charges against four men who were all separately arrested while attempting to meet with a person who they believed to be a 14-year-old girl for the purposes of engaging in sexual activity.
They were identified as 36-year-old Elmer Hopper of Rapid City, 23-year-old Beau Remington of Black Hawk, 30-year-old Jason Gomez of Rapid City and 36-year-old Joshua Michael Allen of Hermosa. All four have been charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor using the Internet.
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction for Attempted Enticement of a Minor is 10 years up to life in federal prison, along with a minimum term of supervised release of five years up to life.
These cases are brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.