Former Red Cloud Bus Driver sentenced for relationship with minor
RAPID CITY—A Former bus driver at Red Cloud Indian School will spend a total of 18 year in federal prison for a sexual relationship with a 14 year old student.
US District Judge Jeffrey Viken, sentenced Stacey Garnette, 44, of Allen on July 6 to 18 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for enticement of a minor. Additionally, Garnette was sentenced to 15 years and 10 years of supervised release for sexual abuse of a minor. The sentences will run concurrently.
Garnette worked as the athletic director and a bus driver at Batesland School where the girl attended from kindergarten through eighth grade before attending Pine Ridge High School for the 2017-2018 school year as a freshman. For the 2018-2019 school year, she attended Red Cloud Indian School, Garnette worked as a bus driver and volunteer for the girls’ basketball team during that time. The relationship between Garnette and the girl escalated to “a nonforcible sexual relationship as of approximately February 2018,” according to court documents. Garnette was approximately 39 at the time.
Garnette sent explicit videos to the girl over Facebook Messenger, in July 2018. Before complying with the man’s request, the girl expressed that she ”probably won’t know how” and that she was “really tired.”
In October of the same year, Garnette sent a video to the victim of her “performing fellatio” on him, at the time Garnette sent the video, he was 40 years old.
A federal grand jury indicted Garnette on October 22, 2019, with seven different charges: sexual exploitation of a minor, receipt of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography, sexual abuse of a minor, enticement of a minor and transfer of obscene material to a minor. Law enforcement arrested him on October 24, 2019. On November 4, Garnette was released to Porcupine on personal recognizance pending trial, US Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollman set the conditionsof his release, which included not contacting the victim.
Two years later in November 2021, the prosecution requested a warrant for Garnette’s arrest on the grounds he had been in contact with the girl for the past two years. Law enforcement arrested Garnette on December 21st 2021 in Sioux Falls, and the number of charges against him increased to 12. Garnette accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor and sexual abuse of a minor.
In addition to his prison sentence and supervised release, Garnette will have to pay a $200 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims fund and have no contact with the victim or go near her residence. He is also required to register as a sex offender as well as have no contact with minors unless approved by a probation officer.
(Contact Joe Budd at sales2@nativesunnews.today)
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July 22, 2022