FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
WALTER MERLE OVERTON FOUND GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that on November 6, 2007, in Missoula, after a 2-day federal district court trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, WALTER MERLE OVERTON, a 56-year-old resident of Manhattan, was found guilty of two counts of sexual exploitation and receipt and possession of child pornography. Sentencing is set for February 29, 2008. OVERTON is currently detained.
OVERTON faces possible penalties of a mandatory 15 years in prison and could be sentenced to the maximum of 30 years in prison for each count of sexual exploitation, a $250,000 fine and lifetime supervision. He also faces possible penalties of a mandatory 5 years in prison and could be sentenced to the maximum of 20 years in prison for receipt of child pornography and a possible 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia K. Hurd prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
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