BILLINGS- A former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent in Billings admitted in federal court Tuesday to possessing child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Shawn Thomas Conrad, 48, faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release on one count of possession of child porn.
Billings police began investigating Conrad in August 2018. As part of the investigation, Conrad’s supervisor at the fish and wildlife service seized an agency vehicle with Conrad’s personal hard drive, according to Alme.
Conrad asked for it back, and the supervisor refused. Fish and Wildlife obtained a search warrant for the hard drive, and Billings police searched Conrad’s home and found a laptop. Both computers contained images of child porn, according to Alme.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped an additional charge of sexual exploitation of a minor. They had alleged that Conrad tried to entice a girl into making a sexually explicit video.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 6 before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters.
