Former Railroad Employee Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

BISMARCK - US Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on April 10, 2017, James Dwight Andrew Monego, 46, Illinois, was sentenced before Chief US District Judge Daniel L. Hovland to serve 10 years and one month after pleading guilty to one count of Possessing Images Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of Minors and Distribution. Judge Hovland also sentenced Monego to serve 10 years of supervised release, pay restitution in the amount of $1500, and pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

Monego, who was an employee of BNSF, was caught after numerous cyber tips led to multiple hotels that Monego was staying at within the District of North Dakota as he traveled through the state because of his employment. The cyber tips indicated that Monego was using an account on a website entitled, "Chatstep," wherein he was communicating with other individuals with whom he would trade images and videos depicting the sexual assault of children.

This case was investigated by Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations.

Assistant US Attorney Gary Delorme prosecuted the case.