Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on November 25, 2024.

Thomas William Tatar, age 38, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and restitution in the amount of $3,000. Tatar must register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison.

Tatar was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 11, 2024.

The investigation discovered that Tatar had been grooming a 10-year-old female for months through the online application "Discord". Tatar convinced the child into thinking they were in a romantic relationship which ultimately led to him convincing her to create for him and send to him depictions of herself engaged in sexually explicit behavior.

"Using the Internet, this defendant targeted a 10-year-old girl and persuaded her to share pornographic images of herself," said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. "His 30-year sentence rightfully reflects the gravity of his crime. More than that, however, this case is yet another reminder to parents and caretakers across the state that we must be vigilant when it comes to our children's use of smart phones, tablets, and gaming devices. Each platform provides defendants like this one an avenue through which children can be targeted and victimized. It will take all of us-community members, caretakers, educators, and law enforcement-to put an end to this nightmarish criminal activity."

This case was 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. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the DOJ's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

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Tatar was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.