By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily
A Casper man has been sentenced to prison for attempting to entice a minor over the internet during the 2019 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Japher Rajab, 43, was one of 11 men arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation targeting internet predators conducted during the 2019 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Rajab was sentenced on Nov. 20 in U.S. District Court to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon his release, he will be required to register as a sex offender. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The conviction stemmed from Rajab communicating with someone he believed to be a 15 year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent. According to court records, following multiple chats and text messages, Rajab proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts.
The undercover operation and arrests were a joint effort between the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
Rajab was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
