A Mitchell man has plead guilty of two counts of First-Degree Rape involving children under 13 years old. Eric Mark Opperman, 48, entered a change of plea on Thursday (May 14, 2026) in Davison County Circuit Court, after which he was found guilty. Pursuant to a written plea agreement he faces a maxi mum sentence of 85 years in prison for the two charges when he is sentenced on Sept. 25, 2026. The crimes are alleged to have occurred between 2013 and 2025 and involved children under 13 years old. South Dakota’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and Mitchell Police Department investigated the case. The Attorney General’s Office and Davison County State’s Attorney prosecuted the case. ...read more read less