BILLINGS - The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Matthew Stoney Olson was sentenced to 84 months in prison, 20 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided over the hearing.
Olson was previously convicted at trial of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. In early 2015, Olson routinely received child pornography by downloading it via a peer-to-peer sharing network. During that time, law enforcement officials with the Department of Homeland Security became aware of these downloads and obtained a search warrant for Olson’s home. The search warrant was executed and a large number of pictures and videos depicting child pornography were discovered on Olson’s personal computer.
In a sentencing memorandum filed in federal court, Assistant United States Attorney Colin Rubich stated that Olson represented a “predatory danger to the community" due to his “unwillingness to acknowledge his crimes and his refusal to seek treatment."
United States Attorney Kurt Alme stated, “Children have the right to grow up free from exploitation by adults who film them and those who drive the market by purchasing the films. We encourage all Montanans to report situations to law enforcement where children may be at risk.
Judge Watters sentenced Olson to 7 years in federal prison, with 20 years of supervised release to follow. Because there is no parole in the federal system, Olson will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Olson does have the opportunity to shorten the term of custody by earning credit for good behavior. However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation, and other federal, state, and local agencies.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
