FIRST “TWO-STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT” LIFE SENTENCE IN MONTANA FOR RECIDIVIST SEX OFFENDER

BILLINGS – William J. Gallenardo, 46, Belgrade, Montana , was sentenced today to life in prison for sexual exploitation of children and 240 months for possession of child pornography after having been found guilty during a two day trial. U .S . attorney William W. Mercer for the District of Montana announced the sentences will run concurrently and Gallenardo was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $200, forfeit media cards, and will be under supervision for life.

Gallenardo was married in June of 2002, to a woman hereafter referred to as “L.G.”.  Gallenardo reported to L.G. that he served time in prison for sexually abusing a child, but that he had changed.  Gallenardo purchased a black Olympus camera that he used during their marriage.  In 2005, L.G. found 4 camera memory cards and a video tape that contained nude images of a juvenile male, hereafter referred to as “B.L.”.  She also found separate images of two other males.  L.G. hid the items, but Gallenardo was mad that she had found them.  L.G. gave two of the memory cards and the video back to Gallenardo and he burned them.  L.G. kept the two memory cards that contained the nude images of B.L., a juvenile.  L.G. turned those cards over to law enforcement when allegations surfaced in 2006 that Gallenardo had sexually abused another male child.

B.L. was questioned and reported that Gallenardo had taken both digital pictures of him as well as videotape and that the events took place during 2003 - 2005 at Belgrade and various other locations the two were together.  B.L. reported that he complied with Gallenardo’s requests because he did not want Gallenardo to do something to him.  B.L. has some developmental delays as well.

During the investigation, B.L. made a recorded telephone call to Gallenardo wherein Gallenardo told B.L. that the pictures were “burned” and told him what to say if contacted by law enforcement.  Gallenardo told B.L. to keep with that story or Gallenardo would spend 25 years in prison.  Gallenardo told B.L that he burned the pictures in the burn barrel.

Gallenardo was sentenced as a repeat offender pursuant to the “two-strikes and you’re out” law.  Gallenardo has prior sexual abuse convictions involving children in Montana from 1987 for which he spent time at the Montana State Prison.  Due to the fact that there is no parole in the federal system, Gallenardo will serve the remainder of his life in federal prison.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, and Montana Department of Criminal Investigations.  Assistant United States Attorney Marcia K. Hurd prosecuted the case.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice launched 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit <http://HYPERLINK "file://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/"www.projectsafechildhood.gov/>.