North Dakota man sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography

FARGO, N.D. — A man from eastern North Dakota was sentenced to eight years in federal prison Wednesday on multiple counts related to receiving and possessing child pornography.

This sentence resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).

Christopher Halligan, 47, of Emerado, North Dakota, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison based on his conviction on one count of receiving and three counts of possessing child pornography. Emerado is a small town near the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

On Sept. 26, 2014, a state BCI special agent downloaded child pornography from Halligan's computer via a peer-to-peer network. HSI special agents and state officers, working with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, subsequently executed a search warrant on Halligan's residence in Grand Forks County. A forensic examination of the media eventually revealed more than 28,000 files depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Halligan must also pay a $400 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund, and he will also serve five years of supervised release after he completes his prison term. He was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to two of the victims depicted in the child pornography images he possessed.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.