OBERON MAN SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IMPRISONMENT ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
FARGO – Steven Bruce Cartier, 47, of Oberon, North Dakota, was sentenced today to 30 years imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Rodney S. Webb.
Cartier’s sentence follows his guilty plea in April 2007 to one count of sexual exploitation of minors, one count of possession of materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors, eight counts of receipt of materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors, one count of making false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements, and a forfeiture charge. The incidents occurred from January 2000 through April 2006 in North Dakota.
“Steven Cartier sexually exploited so many children by possessing these graphically pornographic photos, just as he sexually exploited the nine-year-old girl he physically victimized, exploited, and raped as part of this case, said U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley of the District of South Dakota. “The young faces and the sad eyes of the victims stare out from approximately one million images -- it’s haunting.” Drew continued, “The United States requested a sentence that would have placed Steven Cartier in federal prison for the remainder of his natural life, as we believe was warranted under the federal sentencing provisions. Considering that Steven Cartier is 47 years old, today’s 30-year sentence approaches that important objective and informs others that the gloves are off.”
On April 13, 2006, the FBI executed a search warrant for Cartier’s residence. They seized thirteen hard drives, two thumb drives, video tapes, and approximately 150 compact discs. During the execution of the search warrant Cartier admitted to having previously downloaded child pornography involving prepubescent children.
Subsequently Cartier’s electronic media was examined by the FBI computer forensic examiner in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The forensic examination revealed approximately one million images of children involved in sexually explicit conduct and more than 4,000 video files of the same activity. Also found among Cartier’s collection was a video recording of defendant engaging in sexual activity with a prepubescent girl. Upon further investigation the child depicted in the video was identified. It was determined that the child was approximately nine years old when the video was produced. Assistant U. S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the
United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.