Pocatello Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Child Pornography Charges

POCATELLO, Idaho – A 41-year-old Pocatello man has been sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison on child pornography charges.

Christopher L. Holtry was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to 17.5 years in federal prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, for transportation of child pornography, according to a news release issued Tuesday by U.S. Attorney General Bart M. Davis. Holtry pleaded guilty to the crime in May.

“This sentence sends a strong message to those who seek to harm our most innocent and vulnerable,” Davis said in the prepared statement. “We and our investigative partners will diligently continue our efforts to bring these criminals to justice.”

Davis's office explained in the release that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received a lead from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre regarding users of a chatroom.

The internet protocol addresses associated with the chatroom user’s online activity were registered to Holtry at his Pocatello residence. When law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Holtry’s residence, they seized a number of phones and computers. A forensic search of these devices revealed 134 images and 20 videos of child pornography.

Holtry admitted to uploading and receiving child pornography, estimating that he may have viewed and possessed as many as 1,000 images of child pornography.

“Those who exploit children must be stopped,” said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of HSI Seattle. “These types of operations are imperative to safeguarding our children and we, alongside our partners, are committed to finding and putting a stop to these crimes.”