FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 24, 2008
NATHAN REMI PLOUFFE 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 April 23, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, NATHAN REMI PLOUFFE, a 27-year-old resident of Pablo, pled guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography. Sentencing is set for September 12, 2008. He is currently released on special conditions.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
The Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force initiated an undercover operation targeting peer-to-peer file sharing networks offering child pornography. In April of 2007, a computer utilizing the IP address assigned to PLOUFFE at his residence in St. Ignatius, had numerous images of child pornography available to other peer-to-peer users.
On June 22, 2007, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at PLOUFFE'S residence and seized various items of computer equipment.
Further investigation found that PLOUFFE had pawned a computer in Polson and that computer was also seized. When questioned, PLOUFFE admitted that he had built one of the computers and that he was a trained computer technician. He tried to blame a former friend for the images, but forensic examination found that the images were saved by PLOUFFE in his user account and some had been acquired by PLOUFFE via peer-to-peer file sharing software.
The seized items were examined and numerous images of child pornography were found, including images of known victims. Some of the children depicted in the images were clearly less than age 12 or prepubescent, and were engaged in sadism or masochism or other depictions of violence.
PLOUFFE faces possible penalties of a minimum mandatory 5 years in prison and could be sentenced to 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 a cooperative effort between the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation.
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A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
