A South Dakota fugitive is now on America's top 15 most wanted list. The US Marshals added the alleged child sexual predator to the list. Federal authorities are working with Pennington County law enforcement on the case.
48-year-old David Bonness is wanted by the Pennington County Sheriff and State’s Attorney’s offices for multiple counts of pedophilia and rape. The U.S. Marshals offer a $25,000 reward for information leading directly to his arrest.
Todd Battest is with the Pennington County Sherriff’s Office. He says state and federal officials on the Black Hills Fugitive Task Force have been searching for Bonness since 2009.
“The Task Force is able to use the assets that the Marshals can bring and stuff like that, so just increases the chances of us bringing these folks to justice. And really that’s what we’re seeking, that’s our job: to bring people to justice," says Battest.
Battest says putting dangerous fugitives on the Most Wanted list increases opportunities to find them and gives civilians more incentive to help law enforcement. He expects to find Bonness soon with the FBI’s help.
“We don’t ever want to forget that there’s a victim attached to these," says Battest. "There’s a victim that has alleged that some bad things have occurred, and we’re kind of their voice."
Battest urges those with any information about the whereabouts of Bonness to contact authorities with the U.S. Marshals immediately.