Moscow Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography

COEUR D’ALENE –  James Dale Pressnall, 50, of Moscow, Idaho, was sentenced today for possession of sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Pressnall to 63 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release.  Pressnall pleaded guilty on June 21, 2016. 

According to the plea agreement, between August and October 2015, a Department of Homeland Security agent downloaded child pornography image files from a computer using an online peer to peer network open to the general public.  This agent later learned, by subpoena, that the computer possessing these files was within Pressnall’s Moscow home.     

In November 2015, a federal search warrant was served at Pressnall’s residence.  Although Pressnall was not there, agents were able to track him to another location and seize his computer.  This computer was analyzed and found to contain numerous sexually explicit images of minors.  Pressnall’s child pornography collection included images of minors from 24 states and 18 foreign countries.    

As a result of his conviction, Pressnall will be required to register as a sex offender.  Pressnall was also ordered to complete sex offender treatment following his prison sentence and will be restricted from access to minors.  

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Moscow Police Department.  These are members of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies, focused on apprehending and prosecuting individuals who use the Internet to criminally exploit children.  For more information about the Idaho ICAC Task Force and a list of all the participating agencies, visit www.icactaskforce.org.

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.”