North Dakota sex offender sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography

BISMARCK, N.D. — A western North Dakota man, who has a previous conviction for sexually molesting children, was sentenced Monday to 20 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography.

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

Jess Harlan Mallo, 44, of Williston, North Dakota, was sentenced June 11 to serve 20 years in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland for possessing child pornography. Mallo must also serve 10 years of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.

This investigation was initiated after law enforcement received a tip that Mallo had uploaded images to his email account that suggested he may have been victimizing a minor female. Investigators seized the email account images. While executing a federal search warrant at Mallo’s residence, investigators seized several of Mallo’s electronic devices, which were found to contain child pornography. Mallo admitted possessing child pornography on his devices when interviewed by law enforcement.

Mallo was convicted in 2005 of sexually molesting two minor females in Minnesota.

Assistant United States Attorney Gary L. Delorme, District of North Dakota, prosecuted this case.

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 16,000 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 2016, more than 2,600 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 800 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.

HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.