Eagle Butte Man Convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor

A federal jury convicted Emanual Semon, 24, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, of sexual abuse without consent and sexual abuse of a minor following a three-day trial in U.S. District Court in Rapid City.

The verdict was returned May 7, 2026, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota. United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced the conviction on May 12.

The case directly affects the victim, a minor, and the immediate community of Eagle Butte on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, where Semon resides. Federal sexual-abuse statutes apply because the offenses occurred in Indian country, placing the matter under exclusive federal jurisdiction.

Prior to the verdict Semon faced trial on the two counts. The jury’s decision establishes guilt under 18 U.S.C. § 2243 and § 2242, shifting the case from the trial phase to sentencing. A date for sentencing has not been set; once scheduled, the court must apply federal sentencing guidelines that carry potential imprisonment of up to life in prison for the minor victim count and mandatory lifetime sex-offender registration upon release.

Downstream, the conviction requires the Bureau of Prisons to prepare for custody and the U.S. Probation Office to conduct a presentence investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office must file any sentencing memorandum within deadlines set by the district judge.

If Semon appeals, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals will receive the record within 14 days of any notice of appeal. The South Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office has pursued similar Indian-country sexual-abuse prosecutions as part of its standing enforcement priority on reservation violence.

This marks the latest federal conviction secured by the District of South Dakota in a case involving a minor victim from a reservation community. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has previously secured convictions under the same statutes in cases originating from Eagle Butte and surrounding tribal lands.