Riverton Man Sentenced to 60 Years on Child Pornography Charges

A Riverton man was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Friday on child pornography charges, according to a news release from the Wyoming U.S. Attorney's Office.

The case of Justin David Brown, 27, led to investigations, convictions and lengthy sentencings of three other Wyoming residents including one from Casper.

U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson handed down the 60-year sentence to Brown and ordered him to be on lifetime probation after his release.

In June, he pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography.

The case started on Jan. 4 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Lander received initial information that Brown had produced and distributed child pornography to at least one suspect on the east coast.

The Lander FBI office asked for help from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Riverton and Casper offices of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

That same day, agents from those offices arrested Brown, a registered sex offender, on federal child pornography charges.

Those agents also rescued a victim.

During an interview after his arrest, Brown admitted to sexually abusing a toddler, producing images and videos of the abuse, and distributing those to others with an interest in the sexual exploitation of children.

Brown also admitted to seeking out and communicating with numerous other individuals about the sexual abuse of children.

He consented to law enforcement assuming his online identity and as a result, agents identified offenders within Wyoming and other jurisdictions who committed crimes against children:

-- Robert William Cotter, 35, of Casper was sentenced on July 17 for production of child pornography. Cotter received 17 years six months of imprisonment to be followed by lifetime supervised release He also was ordered to pay $2,500 restitution, a $100 special assessment and a $500 special assessment according to the Victims of Sex Trafficking Act.

-- David Thomas Williams, 36, Laurel, Mont., was sentenced on Aug. 13 for attempted online enticement of a minor. Williams received 12 years six months of imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $138 restitution and a $100 special assessment.

-- Willis Steven Smith, 24, formerly of Lyman was sentenced on Sept. 18 for aiding and abetting the production of child pornography. Smith received 15 years of imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $138 restitution, a $100 special assessment, and a $400 special assessment according to the Victims of Sex Trafficking Act.

U.S. Attorney spokesman Mark Trimble said there are no related cases being investigated at this time.

Assistant Wyoming U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Hambrick and Timothy Forwood, and Wyoming U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen prosecuted these cases.

"My office remains committed to protecting our communities from individuals like these, who are involved in the production and sharing of child pornography," Klaassen said in a prepared statement. "Their conduct victimizes innocent children, the most vulnerable among us, and we must do all we can to prevent and deter this crime."

This case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative started by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.