Richard Charles Saari, Child Pornography, Montana 2017

Grimy Times Exclusive: Richard Charles Saari, a 33-year-old East Helena man, was sentenced to 135 months in prison for his role in a child pornography case that left investigators stunned.

A federal court hearing in Helena, Montana, on April 12, 2017, witnessed Saari’s downfall as Senior U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell handed down the sentence. As part of the punishment, Saari will serve lifetime supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment.

But that’s not all – Saari was also ordered to pay a $5,000 assessment for the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, a harsh penalty that underscores the severity of his crimes.

The investigation that led to Saari’s arrest was a collaborative effort between the Helena Police Department, the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, East Helena Police Department, DHS-Homeland Security Investigation, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.

According to court documents, Saari met a minor female online and enticed her into sending him sexually explicit images of herself via cell phone. Investigators seized an electronic storage device from Saari’s East Helena home and uncovered multiple images of child pornography, organized in electronic subfolders with the first and last name of the female.

Agents identified several of the females depicted in the files and determined eleven of them were under the age of 18. Saari received the images of child pornography between approximately December of 2013 and September of 2015.

FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Rick Shelbourn praised the Helena Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their tireless efforts in protecting communities from offenders who prey on children.

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