Virgil Allen Wolfe was sentenced in federal court in Helena on Thursday after admitting to taking sexually explicit photographs of a minor.
Wolfe, 54 years old, pleaded guilty in May 2019 to sexual exploitation of a child.
The prosecution said in court records that law enforcement had received a report that Wolfe used a camera to take photographs of the victim in the nude and then uploaded them to his computer. The victim was younger than 12 years of age.
Law enforcement officers with Homeland Security Investigations and the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Wolfe’s residence in June 2017 and seized computers, a phone and a digital camera. A forensic analysis of the devices found child pornography images on a computer and on a memory card inside the camera. The images were taken in 2008 and 2009.
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Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell presided and sentenced Wolfe to prison for 21 years and eight months, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
(MAY 29, 2019) A former Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s deputy has entered into a plea agreement for sex abuse charges.
In April, Virgil Wolfe was charged in federal court with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child. On May 17, he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
The contents of the plea agreement are sealed until sentencing.
The government’s order of proof states law enforcement received a tip Wolfe was taking nude photos of an underage victim.
During an interview with authorities, the victim said Wolfe used a camera and uploaded the photos to his computer. Wolfe’s home was searched in June of 2017 and several electronic items were taken.
The Rocky Mountain Information Network examined the devices and found child pornography under the user profile of Virgil Wolfe.
Wolfe’s sentencing was set for August 29 at the federal courthouse in Helena. He remains in custody.
