POCATELLO – Micah Monroe Argyle, 28, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Pocatello to possession of sexually exploitative images of a minor, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.

According to the plea agreement, Argyle admitted that between February 23 and March 1, 2011, he intentionally searched the Internet and downloaded sexually explicit images and videos of children. Argyle admitted that he owned the computers and drives seized by investigators from his residence. Forensic evaluation determined the computer equipment owned by Argyle contained over 600 images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Argyle agreed to forfeit the laptop computers and hard drives used to facilitate the offense.

“With every downloaded file and every viewing of an illicit photograph, consumers of child pornography re-victimize these children,” said Brad Bench, acting special agent in charge of HSI Idaho Falls. “They are just as complicit in furthering the trade of child pornography as producers of it and we will continue to seek out these perpetrators and bring them to justice.”

The charge is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to lifetime supervised release.

Sentencing is set for July 11, 2012, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Bonneville County Sheriff's Office.

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. 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. 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.”