SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Guatemala man to 10 years in federal prison after he was convicted of attempted enticement of a minor using the internet and attempted sex trafficking of a child following a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Sioux Falls investigation. The charge of attempted enticement carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Gerber David Santos-Gonzalez, age 26, was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He was found guilty following a jury trial in October 2024.
On Jan. 13, 2025, Santos-Gonzalez was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. Santos-Gonzalez is required to register as a sex offender once released from federal prison.
“This sentencing sends a clear message that the exploitation of children is an atrocious crime that will not be tolerated,” said HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt. “The trauma inflicted on victims is immeasurable, and thanks to the tireless efforts of HSI Sioux Falls and our dedicated law enforcement partners, justice has been served. A dangerous predator has been removed from our community, ensuring the safety and well-being of our children.”
The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 12, 2024, when Santos-Gonzalez used Facebook and Facebook Messenger to convince a 15-year-old girl to have sex with him in exchange for $100. The 15-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Santos-Gonzalez was arrested when he attempted to meet up with the girl in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
This case was investigated by HSI, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Tea Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
Santos-Gonzalez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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 (DOJ). 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.
Learn more about HSI St. Paul’s mission to fight child exploitation within your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSISaintPaul.