T. Denny Sanford Child Porn Investigation Documents Unsealed
PIERRE, S.D. (KVRR/AP) – Affidavits from an investigation into child porn allegations against billionaire philanthropist T. Denny Sanford have been unsealed.
Three images of underage girls were repeated for a total of 36 images on an AOL account owned by Sanford. Investigators were not able to determine the accurate location of the person accessing the account on the particular dates.
The investigation began in the summer of 2019 after a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
In the affidavits, a special agent with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation wrote that several images of nude underage girls were sent via email over three days in May and June 2019. The age of the youngest was estimated at 8 to 12 years.
The account was believed to belong to Sanford because things like his driver’s license and a receipt from a hotel stay that included his name were sent from it.
The 83-page document was released by order of the South Dakota Supreme Court.
Sanford’s attorney said in a statement that the newly released documents contain only allegations and “various individuals had documented access to the electronic devices at issue, including signs of hacking.”
They fought to keep the affidavits used to issue search warrants sealed, but the Sioux Falls Argus Leader and ProPublica argued they should be made public.
Sanford was not charged after the attorney general’s office said its investigation found no prosecutable offenses within the state’s jurisdiction. It is unclear if he is being investigated in Arizona or California, where he also owns homes.
The state attorney general’s office said in a statement Thursday that its investigative file was forwarded to the U.S. attorney’s office in South Dakota, which forwarded it to the Department of Justice. The file was also sent to authorities in Arizona and California.
“To date, none of those authorities have lodged charges against Sanford,” according to the statement provided to the Argus Leader.
The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment, nor did the U.S. attorney’s office in South Dakota.
Sanford founded First Premier Bank in South Dakota and has donated billions to hospitals, universities and charities, and the Sanford Health system is named for him.
