Sturgis Man Sentenced to 65 Years in Prison After Conviction on 11 Counts of Felony Crimes Involving Children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Contact: Tony Mangan, Communications Director, 605-773-6878

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that a Sturgis man has been sentenced to 65 years in prison after earlier being convicted of 11 counts of felony crimes involving five different children.

Lance Lowell Long, 40, was sentenced Monday in Corson County Circuit Court. He had been convicted in May by a Corson County Jury of one count of Second Degree Rape, one count of Third Degree Rape, one count of Fourth Degree Rape, three counts of Aggravated Assault, and five counts of Abuse of or Cruelty to a Minor.

The defendant was sentenced to 50 years in prison on the various rape and assault charges. He also was sentenced to 15 years in prison on the various child abuse charges, which will be served consecutively with the 50-year sentence.

Long had previously served time in prison for similar child abuse crimes that occurred in Minnehaha County. The Corson County case was prosecuted after the child victims disclosed the abuse to law enforcement in Sioux Falls. 

The Corson County case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). The Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case.

“Our thoughts and support remain with these young victims,” said Attorney General Jackley. “This was a difficult case to investigate and prosecute, and thank you to those who worked on this case,”

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