A Rapid City man has taken a plea deal in a sex trafficking sting during last August’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
35-year old Alexander Basaldu pleaded guilty in federal court to attempted enticement of a minor using the internet in return for prosecutors dropping single counts of attempted exploitation of a minor and attempt receipt of child pornography.
Basaldu was one of 9 men arrested in a joint operation by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the state Division of Criminal Investigation, and U-S Homeland Security Investigations.
He admitted going onto a social media site and exchanging messages with what he thought was a 13-year old girl but was actually a DCI special agent.
Basaldu repeatedly asked the “girl” to send him poronographic videos and pictures, and to meet him for sex.The agent agreed to meet him last August at a Rapid City High School, but Basaldu was arrested when he showed up as scheduled