United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Box Elder, South Dakota, man convicted of Enticement of Minors Using the Internet was sentenced on February 17, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.
Francis James Kistler, age 61, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Kistler was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $700 in restitution. Kistler will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Kistler was federally indicted and arrested after sexually exploiting two underage females between January 2019 and July 2019, while he was employed as a deputy sheriff for the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Kistler was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.