Benjamin Thomas Urry, Child Pornography Possession, Montana 2022

Great Falls, MT – In a disturbing case of child exploitation, Benjamin Thomas Urry, 30, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for possessing child pornography images and videos.

According to court documents, Urry pleaded guilty in August 2022 to possession of child pornography. He was sentenced on January 26 by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris, who presided over the case.

The investigation began in February 2020 when the Great Falls Police Department, a member of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip led law enforcement to Urry’s residence, where they seized cellular phones from his bedroom. Urry admitted to using his phones and an online account to download child pornography, and a search of his phones revealed images and videos depicting child pornography, including scenes of prepubescent minors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyndee L. Peterson and Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Great Falls Police Department. The case was initiated under the Project Safe Childhood initiative, launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.

The Project Safe Childhood initiative aims to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in enhancing their investigative response to technology-facilitated crimes against children.

Urry’s sentence of 40 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, serves as a reminder of the severity of child pornography crimes and the importance of continued efforts to combat child exploitation.

The Grimy Times will continue to monitor this case and provide updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, we urge anyone with information about child exploitation to come forward and report it to the authorities.

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