Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Over 9 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

Northeast Radio SD News – South Dakota - A Sioux Falls man has been sentenced to more than nine years in federal prison after admitting to possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including material involving extremely young victims.

U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced that 28‑year‑old Alexander Juan Cotton was sentenced on April 21 by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier to nine years and two months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Cotton was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and will be required to register as a sex offender upon release.

Cotton was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025 and pleaded guilty on January 27, 2026.

According to court documents, the case involved incidents between May 2 and June 13, 2024, during which Cotton possessed more than 300 images and videos of child sexual exploitation. Investigators said the material included victims as young as 1 to 2 years old. Cotton obtained the files online via platforms such as Telegram and Mega.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert Webb prosecuted the case.

The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative focused on identifying, arresting, and prosecuting individuals involved in child exploitation, as well as rescuing victims.

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