Michael Yellowhorse, Child Pornography Production, CO 2023

Denver – A chilling sentence has been handed down in the grim case of Michael Yellowhorse, 29, who was sentenced to serve 21 years in federal prison for producing child pornography involving a minor under his care. The judge also ordered him to spend an additional ten years on supervised release and register as a sex offender.

Yellowhorse’s downfall began with a December 23, 2014 criminal complaint and led to a federal indictment in Denver on January 7, 2015. He entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson on March 3, 2016, but managed to flee the day of his scheduled sentencing by cutting off his ankle monitor. His capture followed a high-speed chase in Texas after he crashed into a civilian vehicle.

The investigation that brought Yellowhorse to justice was a complex international effort involving law enforcement agencies including the Queensland Police Service (QPS) in Australia and HSI’s Cyber Crimes Center (C3). They identified a photo-sharing website facilitating child pornography exchanges, leading to Yellowhorse through an undercover operation. A search warrant at his home uncovered laptops, cellphones, and evidence linking him to the child pornography.

Yellowhorse’s own devices contained images of child pornography he had produced, as well as over 250 other child pornographic images. He was in possession of these materials when the images were created, with one of the minors depicted just eight years old. The investigation revealed that Yellowhorse visited the website responsible for this investigation thousands of times.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer emphasized the success of international law enforcement cooperation: “Wherever you are, if you’re involved in exploiting children, we will find you, you will be prosecuted, and you will face the same consequence as Yellowhorse.” John Eisert, acting special agent in charge at HSI, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the importance of their Operation Predator program.

Michael Yellowhorse’s sentence serves as a stark reminder of the lengths law enforcement will go to protect children from exploitation and the severe consequences faced by those who prey on them.

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