BOISE - Gary Stanley Williams, 49, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.

According to court records, the investigation began when a citizen reported that Williams was involved in concerning online activity. The citizen provided screenshots of Williams' online activity that showed him interacting with several online accounts that appeared to be operated by minor females. An undercover detective with the Boise Police Department ("BPD") later contacted Williams online purporting to be a 14-year-old female. For several days, Williams engaged in sexually explicit conversation with the purported 14-year-old and discussed his interest in child sexual abuse material. Based on the communications, BPD obtained a federal search warrant to seize and search Williams' electronic devices. During a forensic examination of Williams' cellphone, BPD located numerous files of child sexual abuse material, including depictions of prepubescent children and toddlers.

Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Williams to serve a lifetime period of supervised release following his prison sentence and to pay $45,000 in restitution to the victims in the images that he possessed. Williams will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of his conviction.

U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Boise Police Department, which led to the charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kassandra McGrady prosecuted the case.

These cases were 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General's Office partner to marshal 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.

###