RAPID CITY, S.D. – An Allen man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a child.
Court records show Tyler Cortier was sentenced Monday in federal court in Rapid City. He previously pleaded guilty to a charge of abusive sexual contact stemming from an incident that occurred in May 2024.
According to court documents, Cortier admitted to touching the victim’s genitalia at a residence in Allen. The victim was under the age of 16 at the time of the offense.
Federal prosecutors noted that Cortier had originally been charged with a more serious sexual abuse offense that carried the possibility of a life sentence. However, the charge was reduced as part of a plea agreement when he entered his guilty plea in July.
U.S. District Judge Camela Theeler imposed the maximum sentence available under the charge of conviction, ordering Cortier to serve two years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
The case was prosecuted in federal court due to jurisdiction involving the location of the offense and the age of the victim.
