Paul Anthony Rible Sentenced In U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on July 25, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, PAUL ANTHONY RIBLE, a 39-year-old resident of Plentywood, appeared for sentencing. RIBLE was sentenced to a term of:

Prison: 30 months

Special Assessment: $100

Forfeiture: computer

Supervised Release: 10 years

RIBLE was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to accessing child pornography with the intent to view.

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:

An investigation into RIBLE began when agents determined that an IP address assigned to RIBLE's residence offered known child pornography video files available for download via the Internet from October 12, 2011, through December 13, 2011. An agent viewed some of the files which were available for download and determined they depicted children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

A search warrant for RIBLE's residence was obtained and served on May 22, 2012. RIBLE was summoned to the Havre Border Patrol station to be interviewed on the day of the search. While agents conducted the search at RIBLE's Plentywood residence, RIBLE was interviewed in Havre.

RIBLE admitted to viewing child pornography on his computers at his residence in Plentywood. He described the images, and his description met the federal definition for child pornography. RIBLE said he used the Internet, his computer, and specific file sharing programs to obtain the images. RIBLE confirmed that he viewed the files listed in the IP activity log which showed the video files available for download between October 12, 2011, and December 13, 2011.

RIBLE also admitted he viewed child pornography on a laptop computer the night before the interview. He produced the laptop computer and a forensic analysis of the laptop produced evidence that RIBLE had visited websites consistent with online viewing of child pornography on May 21, 2012.

No additional evidence was located on the computer or electronic media seized from RIBLE's residence. Agents determined that the computer RIBLE had used to access and view the child pornography had malfunctioned and had been disposed of prior to the search of the residence.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that RIBLE will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, RIBLE 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 U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, PSC 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 PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."