Sturgis Motorcycle Rally predator convicted

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - A New York man was sentenced this week to 10 years in prison as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2021 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

In addition to 10 years in federal prison, 29-year-old Christopher Dahl was sentenced to 5 years of supervised release following his time in prison and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, as well as a $5,000 special assessment to the Victims of Trafficking Fund.

Dahl will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Dahl was indicted for Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet by a federal grand jury in August of 2021. He pleaded guilty on August 19, 2022.

The arrest and indictment were the result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2021 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that targeted internet predators.

A press release stated that after multiple text messages with an undercover persona, Dahl negotiated a time and place he would meet a 14-year-old girl to have sex. Additionally, Dahl agreed to pay the undercover persona $250 for the unlawful sex acts with the minor.

When Dahl went to the pre-determined location to meet the undercover persona, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest, according to the United States Department of Justice.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department.