Spokane Valley Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography

Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Thomas J. Montieth, age 65, of Spokane Valley, Washington, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty on April 4, 2017 to Distribution of Child Pornography. Senior United States District Judge Justin L. Quackenbush sentenced Monthieth to a five-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a ten-year term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. In addition, Monthieth agreed to forfeit to the United States a computer and related equipment that he used to distribute and possess child pornography images and videos. Upon release from prison, Montieth will be required to register as a sex offender.

According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, between July 22 and August 5, 2016, a Homeland Security officer working undercover in Spokane, Washington discovered that Monthieth was using peer to peer (P2P) file sharing to distribute images of child pornography over the internet. Special Agents from Homeland Security obtained a federal search warrant for Montieth’s residence in Spokane Valley, Washington. They executed the search warrant on September 7, 2016. During the execution of the search warrant, Montieth advised the Special Agents that he had been using P2P software to distribute and collect child pornography files. Law enforcement officers discovered approximately 21,244 child pornography images and 394 videos of child pornography on Mothieth’s desktop computer and a flash drive.

Joseph H. Harrington stated, “Prosecuting offenders who possess and distribute child pornography is a priority for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. The United States Attorney’s Office is, and will continue to be, committed to prosecuting aggressively and seeking appropriate punishment for child pornography crimes.”

"The ceaseless efforts of our HSI Special Agents to identify criminals who target youth for sexual gratification are critical steps in making Washington communities safer," said Brad Bench, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Seattle. "This case is an example of how HSI,

in partnership with the Department of Justice, will continue to track, investigate and prosecute predators to the fullest extent of the law."

This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May, 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:

• Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;

• Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;

• Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;

• Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and

• Community awareness and educational programs.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Stephanie J. Lister, an Assistant United States Attorney and PSC Coordinator for the Eastern District of Washington.