Six arrested in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally sex sting

PIERRE, S.D. - Six people accused of attempting to have sex with minors have been arrested in a Sturgis Motorcycle Rally sex sting, state officials said in a release Tuesday, Aug. 15.

An undercover operation taking place at the annual rally in the Black Hills for the past five years has netted arrests of people from across the world, according to Ace Crawford of the U.S. attorney's office for South Dakota.

In the operation, an undercover officer has several internet chats or texts with people who believe they are talking with 14-year-old girls or boys. The officers then proceed to negotiate the time and place they would meet to have sex. When people go to the predetermined location to meet the minor, they are instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest.

The operation this year involved the state's attorney general's office, U.S. attorney's office, local police and sheriffs' departments, the state Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security.

Read more: http://www.wctrib.com/news/crime-and-courts/4486334-six-arrested-sturgis-motorcycle-rally-sex-sting