News Releases

Former FEMA reservist sentenced in child pornography case

POCATELLO, Idaho – An Idaho Falls man who was a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) reservist program, was sentenced Monday to 42 months in federal prison and 10 years supervised release for possession of sexually exploitive images of a minor.

Micah Monroe Argyle, 28, pleaded guilty in April to intentionally searching the Internet and downloading sexually explicit images and videos of children. According to court records, he engaged in the illicit activity between Feb. 23 and March 1, 2011. In a search executed at Argyle's residence, HSI special agents found more than 600 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on various computers and digital storage devices.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General and the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office.

"With every downloaded file and every viewing of an illicit photograph, consumers of child pornography re-victimize these children," said Brad Bench, HSI Seattle special agent in charge. "They are just as complicit in furthering the trade of child pornography as those who produce it, and we will continue to seek out these perpetrators and bring them to justice."

As part of Operation Predator, HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Justice Department's Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho and ask to speak with the coordinator.