RAPID CITY, S.D. – A Rapid City man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison, with 10 years suspended, after pleading guilty to second-degree rape involving a child.
23-year-old Hayden Czerwonka was sentenced in Pennington County Circuit Court by Judge Jeffrey Connolly, who described the case as one that weighed heavily on the court. The sentence means Czerwonka faces 40 years in prison, and because the crime occurred before changes to South Dakota’s sentencing laws, he will become eligible for parole after serving a portion of his sentence.
Czerwonka originally faced two counts of first-degree rape involving a child under the age of 13. Under a plea agreement reached in May, he pleaded guilty to second-degree rape, reducing the potential penalty from life in prison to a maximum of 50 years.
According to prosecutors, the crime occurred between 2021 and 2022 when Czerwonka was 18 or 19 years old and the victim was 9 or 10 years old. Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence, arguing that Czerwonka demonstrated a repeated pattern of predatory behavior and posed an ongoing risk to the community.
During the sentencing hearing, the court also heard testimony related to Czerwonka’s previous criminal history, which included prior convictions involving stalking and sexual misconduct. Prosecutors argued those incidents showed a troubling pattern of behavior.
Defense attorney Greg Sperlich asked the court to consider mitigating factors, including Czerwonka’s difficult childhood, reports of sexual abuse he experienced as a child, and a traumatic brain injury. The defense argued that Czerwonka had accepted responsibility for his actions and expressed remorse through letters submitted to the court.
In announcing the sentence, Judge Connolly acknowledged the trauma Czerwonka experienced growing up but said the seriousness of the offense and the impact on the victim warranted a lengthy prison term.
The case concludes one of the most serious criminal prosecutions in Pennington County this year.
