Cape Cod Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Federal Child Sexual Exploitation Crimes in Wyoming

CHEYENNE, Wyo. Kenneth Charles Trenholm, 36, of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence in Cheyenne.

The sentence follows a multiagency investigation into peer-to-peer file sharing and the online extortion of minors. According to court documents, investigators initially traced illicit digital downloads to a lodging facility in Douglas, Wyoming. A subsequent report involving the digital exploitation of a 13-year-old victim enabled law enforcement to identify and arrest Trenholm.

According to court documents, Trenholm used digital communication platforms to solicit illicit materials from several minors and groom them to produce sexually explicit content. He then utilized threats of distribution to coerce a victim to send further explicit content.

“The damage done by these crimes is devastating, and a court sentence cannot undo it. However, today’s judgment makes it certain that child abusers will face full accountability,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. "We owe a great deal to the victim's family for their courage, and to the officers who worked tirelessly on this case."

The case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie R. Morrison prosecuted the case.

Case No. 26-CR-003-ABJ

About the United States Attorney's Office

The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:

Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.

Operation Take Back America
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.

To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime