Ex-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Employee Sentenced In Child Porn Case

BILLINGS—Former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee Shawn Thomas Conrad was sentenced today to 84 months in prison followed by 20 years supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Conrad also was ordered to pay $15,000 restitution, $5,000 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act assessment, and $100 special assessment.

Conrad, 49, of Billings, pleaded guilty in May to possession of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

“Exploiting children for sexual gratification is a serious crime and will not be tolerated. Every person who possesses child pornography re-injures the victim,” Attorney Alme said. “This sentence sends a strong message that whoever commits child pornography crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  I want to thank Assistant U. S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI, the Billings Police Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their good work in this case.”

“Child pornography is a crime that leaves profound and long-lasting effects on the victims,” said Paul Haertel, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office.  “The FBI would like to thank the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Billings Police Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services for their assistance in bringing a child predator to justice.”

The prosecution said in court documents filed in the case that an investigation of Conrad, an agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for a child pornography crime that began in early August 2018 by the Billings Police Department, which is a member of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.   Having heard of the underlying police department investigation, Conrad’s supervisor went to Conrad’s home and seized an agency vehicle.  Conrad said his personal hard drive was in the vehicle and asked for the hard drive. The supervisor did not return it. Conrad asked his supervisor again that evening for his hard drive.

The USFWS obtained a search warrant for the hard drive, which was examined. The BPD also served a search warrant at Conrad’s residence and seized a laptop computer, which was examined. Both the hard drive and laptop contained child porn images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, FBI, BPD and USFWS.