FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
LARRY TALSETH PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Missoula on February 6, 2008, before Chief U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, LARRY TALSETH, a 56-year-old resident of Helena, pled guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography. Sentencing is set for May 16, 2008. He is currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
In April of 2006, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Cyber Crimes Center initiated an investigation into a criminal organization operating numerous commercial child pornography websites on the Internet. The investigation, known as Operation Flicker, has identified thousands of people in the United States who have subscribed to various child pornography websites operated by this organization.
In May of 2007, ICE agents in Great Falls received information that TALSETH, a Helena resident, was among the subscribers identified during Operation Flicker.
During the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Helena, TALSETH was interviewed and admitted to knowingly receiving and possessing child pornography images via the Internet on his home computer from approximately 2004 until July of 2007.
A subsequent forensic analysis of TALSETH'S computer revealed dozens of child pornography movies and thousands of child pornography images, many of known children and including children clearly prepubescent or under the age of 12 engaged in sadistic or masochistic activity or other depictions of violence.
TALSETH faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison and could be sentenced to the maximum of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervision.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia K. Hurd prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
