PIERRE, S.D.(KCCR)- A 74 year-old Onida man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison on child rape and sexual contact charges.  Sentencing for Steven West was held at the Hughes County Courthouse in Pierre instead of the Sully County Courthouse Tuesday.  Defense attorney Rob Conrad asked Judge Christina Klinger to consider departure from the 15 year mandatory minimum sentences for Sexual Contact with a Child Under 16 and two counts of Fourth Degree Rape.  Conrad used testimony from Shane Larson; a Watertown counselor who performed the psychosexual evaluation on West, to indicate West had a low risk of reoffending.  Beadle County States Attorney Mike Moore assisted Sully County States Attorney Emily Sovell with the case.  He told Klinger West violated the trust of the three girls he assault and says he groomed the girls for two years leading up to the May 2021 crime.  Klinger agreed with Moore in stating West was grooming the minors for sexual assault and added she disagreed with the low risk assessment that West wouldn’t offend again.  Sovell is pleased justice was done.

West was given 15 years with five suspended on two of the counts  Klinger gave West 15 years on the second fourth degree rape charge saying that all three victims had to listen and watch while the rape was occurring and that that action quote “absolutely destroyed” the victims.