Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography

Eric Wallace Hedrick, age 47, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Hedrick was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 9, 2019.  He pled guilty on May 6, 2021.

The conviction stemmed from incidents between December 28, 2018, and May 28, 2019, when Hedrick knowingly possessed child pornography that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer.  Hedrick used his cell phones and tablet to search the internet for images and videos containing child pornography.  Hedrick’s sentence was enhanced due to a prior sex offense conviction in 2006.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

Hedrick was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.