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Press Release

Michael Dwaine Freeman Sentenced In U.S. District Court

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula, on December 9, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, MICHAEL DWAINE FREEMAN, a 64-year-old resident of Anaconda, was sentenced to a term of:

  • ison: 210 months
  • ecial Assessment: $100
  • rfeiture: cell phone
  • pervised Release: 10 years

FREEMAN was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to sexual exploitation of children (production of child pornography).

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

In August 2012, Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement investigated complaints against FREEMAN for having inappropriate contact with children.

As part of the investigation, detectives searched FREEMAN's residence in Anaconda. A cell phone was seized during the search. When a detective checked the phone for power, the detective saw a close-up image of a young child's genital area (set as the cell phone's wallpaper or home page).

FREEMAN was arrested and interviewed at the jail. He admitted he took the photograph of the child's genital area that was on his cell phone. The child was born in 2009. FREEMAN explained he took the photo a few days earlier while changing her diaper and said there would be other images of the child on the phone as well.

The cell phone was forensically examined and the examiner found the home screen as described by FREEMAN. The examiner located additional images of the child which also depicted sexually explicit conduct. The images were produced between January 31, 2012, and July 29, 2012.

This case underscores the importance of local, state, and federal law enforcement working together towards a common goal of protecting the community. The efforts of the Anaconda law enforcement identifying a dangerous pedophile and then requesting the assistance of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has protected other children in the community from victimization." said U.S. Attorney Michael C. Cotter.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that FREEMAN will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, FREEMAN does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation, and the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Department.

Updated January 14, 2015