FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 19, 2008
LARRY TALSETH SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Missoula, on May 16, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, LARRY TALSETH, a 56-year-old resident of Helena, appeared for sentencing. TALSETH was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 97 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: lifetime
TALSETH was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to receipt of child pornography.
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.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that TALSETH will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, TALSETH does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
