Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A Pierre, South Dakota woman has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell and took place on September 22, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte.
Mickenzie Tucker, age 23, received a sentence that also includes five years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. She was ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution.
Tucker was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024 and pleaded guilty on June 27, 2025.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Tucker received and distributed child pornography between July 2023 and February 2024 using instant messaging and social media platforms such as Discord and Wickr. Law enforcement began investigating her after receiving CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating she used her Discord account to store illegal material. In February 2024, authorities executed a search warrant at her residence in Pierre and seized multiple electronic devices containing child pornography. Tucker will forfeit these devices to the United States.
"This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice," stated the press release. "Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims." More information about this initiative can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation involved several agencies including the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pierre Police Department, and the FBI. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Tucker is required to self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service by October 6, 2025.
Alerts Sign-up