Former Sioux Falls officer to serve decade in prison for sending nudes to FBI agent posing as girl

SIOUX FALLS — A former Sioux Falls police officer was sentenced Thursday, Jan. 19, to serve a decade in federal prison after pleading guilty to enticement of a minor.

At a Thursday morning sentencing hearing at the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Sioux Falls, Luke Schauer, 29, of Sioux Falls, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

The conviction stems from a plea agreement Schauer entered in September 2022 to plead guilty to enticement of a minor in exchange for the dismissal of two charges he was originally indicted on — attempted production of child pornography and transfer of obscene materials to a minor.

According to a criminal complaint filed in February 2022 by FBI investigator David Keith:

Between Jan. 18 and Feb. 4, 2022, Schauer sent three sexually explicit photos to an Online Covert Employee (OCE) who was posing as a 12-year-old girl. Using instant messaging app Kik, Schauer described how he would have sex with the girl.

“I can’t wait to see you naked,” Schauer wrote, further offering to show her his “gun” if she sent nude photos.

Nine days after the first sexually explicit conversation, Schauer sent two separate sexually explicit photos and again asked the girl to send nude mirror photos, saying “I held up my end, it’s your turn to go to the bathroom.”

In one set of photos sent by Schauer, the OCE was able to identify a “distinct” pattern of bedding and wood trim in what appeared to be a bedroom. During a Feb. 8, 2022, search warrant executed at Schauer’s home, law enforcement officers were able to locate a room that contained the same bedding and wood trim.

In an interview with federal agents, Schauer acknowledged that the Kik profile was his, and admitted to sending and requesting nude photographs with a girl he believed was 12 years old.

After the criminal complaint was submitted on Feb. 9, 2022, Schauer was indicted roughly three weeks later on March 1.

Following the announcement of charges, Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum said Schauer was immediately terminated upon the department’s learning of his conduct.

In addition to prison time, Schauer was ordered to forfeit his iPhone to the government and to pay a fine of $100.

Following his sentencing, Schauer was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.