Billionaire T. Denny Sanford won’t face child porn charges in South Dakota

Billionaire T. Denny Sanford, a banker-turned-philanthropist at the center of a long-running child porn probe, will not face criminal charges in the case.

An investigation was initially launched into Sanford, who is also the richest man in South Dakota, in 2019, after some of his accounts were flagged by a technology firm for possible possession of child porn. Authorities combed through his email accounts, as well as his cellular and internet service providers, but they did not uncover any “prosecutable offenses within the jurisdiction of the State of South Dakota,” the attorney general’s office said in a court filing on Friday.

It remains unclear if similar investigations into Sanford in other jurisdictions are still open.

In this Feb. 3, 2007 photo, South Dakota philanthropist T. Denny Sanford speaks with reporters in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Carson Walker/)

Sanford, the namesake of the Sanford Health System, initially made his fortune as the founder of First Premier Bank in South Dakota, which is known for issuing high-interest credit cards to those with lower scores. His net worth is an estimated $3.4 billion.

The 84-year-old is also a well-known philanthropist, with recent donations including a $50 million gift to a Dakota State University cybersecurity lab back in January. He’s also shelled out more than $650 million in donations to Sanford Health last year.

Former attorney general Marty Jackley, who represented Sanford, said his client is grateful to be cleared of wrongdoing in the case.

“Mr. Sanford appreciates the public acknowledgment by the SD Attorney General’s office that the DCI has concluded its investigation and they have found no prosecutable crime,” Jackley said.

With News Wire Services