United States Attorney David B. Barlow

District of Utah

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       MELODIE RYDALCH

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2012 (801) 325-3206

PIRENTE SENTENCED TO 168 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON

FOR DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

SALT LAKE CITY – Jeffrey David Pirente, age 44, of Saratoga Springs, will serve 168 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography. Pirente had more than 600 images of child pornography on his computer and admitted using an advanced peer-to-peer network, to send the images to others.

U.S. District Judge David Nuffer, who imposed the sentence Monday in federal court, also ordered Pirente to serve 240 months of supervised release when he completes his federal prison sentence. Pirente also must pay $1,000 in restitution to an identified victim of the crime. Final restitution will be determined at a later hearing.

In a sentencing memorandum filed with the court, federal prosecutors urged the court to issue a sentence within the federal sentencing guideline range given the defendant’s egregious conduct. Prosecutors argued for a sentence of 180 months, near the high end of the sentencing guideline range, and supervision for life. The sentence imposed by the court was within the sentencing guideline range.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Dain wrote in the sentencing memorandum that “Pirente admitted to distributing child pornography and in many chats he attempted to gain access to other individuals’ folders by obtaining passwords. He organized his files, which included sadistic images of prepubescent children. He has sought out and traded sadistic, disturbing and vile images of the rape and torture of children, using an advanced peer-to-peer network. He should be held accountable for all of his criminal conduct.” Dain said Pirente used the advance file sharing program to share his collection with as many as 153 other individuals and exchanged chats with those individuals for months.

Pirente was indicted in August 2011 on distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography following an investigation that started with law enforcement authorities working in an undercover capacity online in Colorado and New York. The Saratoga Springs Police Department and the FBI in Salt Lake City continued the investigation. He pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography in February 2012.