Allen Duane Turman, Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Montana 2018

A Kalispell man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in the sexual exploitation of a minor. Allen Duane Turman, 44, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child during a Nov. 29 hearing.

The crime was discovered in October 2017 when a law enforcement officer received a call about a thumb drive that belonged to Turman. A forensic analysis of the device showed it contained a sexually explicit video of a girl who was under the age of 18.

By looking at other files on the thumb drive, law enforcement determined that Turman had created the video. When interviewed in April 2018, Turman told law enforcement that the victim had stayed with him but that he was using drugs at the time and his memory was poor.

Turman did not dispute that he created the video, and prosecution evidence showed that he was responsible for its creation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Flathead County Sheriff's Office.

On March 22, Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the sentencing hearing, where Turman was sentenced to 15 years in prison, 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,000 restitution.

Turman's sentence is a result of his guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child. The crime carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison, and Turman's sentence reflects this requirement.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting children from exploitation and abuse. It also highlights the need for law enforcement and prosecutors to work together to bring those responsible to justice.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/sexual-exploitation-minor-sends-kalispell-man-prison-15-years