Onida is a city of approximately 700 residents located in central South Dakota. It is the county seat of Sully County, SD. Although instances of prostitution and sex trafficking have not been significant issues in the area, reports of their occurrence have been made. Among the more serious issues associated with the area’s prostitution market is child sex trafficking/exploitation.

Sex buyers and sex traffickers have been apprehended by law enforcement in the city of Onida. For example, in 2021, as a result of a DCI-led investigation, a 73-year-old Onida man was arrested and indicted on six counts for allegedly sexually exploiting three underage girls in exchange for money at his residence. The indictment included one count of First Degree Rape, two counts of Fourth Degree Rape, and three counts of First Degree Human Trafficking. First Degree Human Trafficking in South Dakota is defined in state law as “committing or attempting to commit kidnapping, victims under 18 years old or involving prostitution or procuring prostitution.” A probable cause affidavit filed in Sully County claimed the man met the victims online, brought them to his home where two girls engaged in oral sex on the offender and he sexually abused another victim in exchange for money, and then drove the girls to a gas station in Vivian, SD. In March 2022, the man was sentenced to 35 years in prison. The judge stated that the offender, “violated the trust of the three girls he assault[ed] and says he groomed the girls for two years leading up to the May 2021 crime.” The offender’s identity and image were included in reports by local media outlets. The DCI was assisted by the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office and the Sully County Sheriff’s Office during the investigation.