⏱ 2 min read
Zachary Dean Schifferns, a 38-year-old man from Forsyth, Montana, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for producing and collecting child pornography. Schifferns pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. The investigation began on December 25, 2024, when a 14-year-old boy reported that Schifferns had reached out to him on social media and requested nude images.
Schifferns sent the boy a picture of his own genitalia and expressed interest in 12- to 15-year-old boys. The boy responded by sending a fake image he had photoshopped from online material. Law enforcement obtained a warrant and searched Schifferns’s residence, electronic media, and social media, discovering dozens of sexually explicit images and videos of children, including some involving children under 12.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office, and Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office, as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Schifferns was also ordered to pay $40,200 in special assessments and $15,000 in restitution.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided over the sentencing, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus. The sentence reflects the severity of Schifferns’s crimes and the need to protect children from exploitation and abuse.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Sex Crimes
- Defendant: Montana
- Location: MT
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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