Pocatello Man Sentenced to 17.5 years in Federal Prison for Transporting Child Pornography

POCATELLO – Christopher L. Holtry, 41, of Pocatello, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 210 months in federal prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, for transportation of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Holtry to forfeit the computer used in the commission of the charged offense.  Holtry pleaded guilty to the crime in May.

According to the plea agreement, Homeland Security Investigations received an investigative lead from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre regarding users of a chatroom called “Tabou5.”  In the chatroom, a user shared an image of child pornography and made assertions that the female child depicted in the image was his daughter.  The internet protocol addresses associated with the chatroom user’s online activity were registered to Holtry at his Pocatello residence.  When law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Holtry’s residence, they seized a number of phones and computers.  A forensic search of these devices revealed 134 images and 20 videos of child pornography.  In an interview, Holtry admitted to uploading and receiving child pornography.  He estimated having viewed and possessed approximately 1,000 images of child pornography.

“This sentence sends a strong message to those who seek to harm our most innocent and vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Davis.  “We and our investigative partners will diligently continue our efforts to bring these criminals to justice.”

“Those who exploit children must be stopped,” said Brad Bench, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Seattle.  “These types of operations are imperative to safeguarding our children and we, alongside our partners, are committed to finding and putting a stop to these crimes.”

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Pocatello Police Department and the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

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

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

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