15-Year Prison Sentence for Former Sioux Falls Area Soccer Coach in Child Pornography Case

Northeast Radio SD News – Sioux Falls, SD - Sioux Falls resident James Kooima, 47, was sentenced on September 29, 2025, to 15 years in federal prison after being convicted of Production of Child Pornography. United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced the sentencing, which Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange handed down.

Following his release from federal prison, Kooima will be required to serve five years of supervised release and register as a sex offender. He was also ordered to pay a total of $12,600 in special assessments, including to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 and the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance fund.

Kooima was initially indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024 and pleaded guilty on May 12, 2025.

The conviction resulted from an incident that occurred in winter 2023. Kooima used the social media application Snapchat to befriend a 14-year-old girl from Maine. He manipulated the girl into believing they were in a romantic relationship before coercing her into creating and sending him sexually explicit videos and images of herself.

U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell commented on the nature of the crime, stating, “Online sexual predators are among the most serious threats to children and adolescents in our community. Unfortunately, it is becoming almost commonplace to see adolescents targeted through applications like Snapchat and pressured into sending compromising photos and videos of themselves.”

The case was investigated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of the nationwide Project Safe Childhood initiative.

Kooima was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.