Informational: Federal Court Initial Appearance
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 10, 2011 |
The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula on January 10, 2011, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, the following individual appeared:
WILLIAM RICHARD NIELSEN, a 24-year-old resident of Missoula, made an initial appearance on a complaint alleging coercion and enticement of a minor. He is currently detained. If charged with this offense, NIELSEN faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervision. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson is the prosecutor for the United States. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Missoula Police Department.
A complaint is merely a written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense(s) charged.
For more information regarding the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood Initiative please visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/. For more information on Internet safety, please visit the Montana Attorney General's Safe n Your Space website, http://safeinyourspace.org. For more information about the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force please visit http://mticac.org.