Twin Falls Man Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

BOISE – Shane Pruett, 42, of Twin Falls, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.

According to court records, the investigation began when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received CyberTip reports from Reddit.  A CyberTip is a report submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  NCMEC gathers leads and tips regarding suspected online crimes against children and forwards them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.  HSI determined that a Reddit account, later identified as belonging to Pruett, had posted CSAM on Reddit.

HSI obtained a federal search warrant for the contents of Pruett’s Reddit account and located images of CSAM, along with messages that Pruett had sent discussing his sexual interest in children.  HSI executed a federal search warrant at Pruett’s Twin Falls residence and seized two cellphones, an iPad, and a laptop computer belonging to Pruett.  A forensic examination revealed CSAM on each of the devices.

U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also sentenced Pruett to 15 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $15,000 in restitution to victims in the images he possessed.  Pruett will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.

“We are committed to finding anyone engaged in illegal and harmful online child exploitation crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit.  “I am grateful for the strong partnerships between federal and local law enforcement that allow us to prosecute these types of defendants to the fullest extent of the law.”  

“HSI agents fight every day to protect children from online predators, and the sentence handed down today sends a clear message that those who engage in the exploitation and abuse of children will be held accountable under the full extent of the law,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest.  “HSI and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting children from these horrific crimes and will continue to relentlessly pursue those who seek to harm them.”

U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Twin Falls Police Department, which led to the charge.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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