A 43-year-old Casper man already on the sex offender list won’t face state prosecution on allegations he had and distributed child pornography. That’s because he’s been indicted by the feds, and the state dropped its case so he can face federal prosecution.
Natrona County Chief Deputy District Attorney Blaine Nelson filed a motion to dismiss the case against Timothy Wayne Wales on Monday “in deference to the defendant’s federal prosecution for similar conduct in the United States District Court.”
“It would therefore be in the best interests of justice to do so,” Nelson said.
Wales had been scheduled for arraignment in Natrona County District Court on April 4.
Wales was arrested Jan. 16 in Casper after Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation agents allegedly found sexually explicit photos of underage children had been uploaded from a device traced to him.
The federal indictment handed up last week charges Wales with four federal crimes, including possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, sexual exploitation of children and commission of a felony sex offense by a registered sex offender.
The Tip
Special agents from DCI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that started the investigation, court records show. That led to special agents in Casper to watch Wales.
During that investigation, agents found child pornography had been posted online from a device they connected to Wales, according to court records.
Wales had been living with a girlfriend who had minor children. One of those children was identified in images posted by Wales, according to court records.
Court records show Wales had previously been on probation and parole for sex-related federal crimes, including coercion and enticement for illegal sexual activity and sexual exploitation of children.
He’s also on DCI’s sex offender database showing two incidents in 2004 of sexual exploitation of children. Records show he had previously admitted to viewing child pornography while on probation and had failed a lie detector test.
Decades Of Prison Time
- The possession of child pornography charge alleges from Oct. 28, 2023, through Jan. 16, 2024, Wales possessed pornography involving minors on his cellphone. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 to 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
- The distribution of child pornography charge carries a penalty of 15 to 40 years in prison and up to $250,000 fine.
- Wales faces 25 to 50 years in prison if convicted on the production of child pornography charge. That charge carries a fine of up to $250,000.
- The commission of a felony sex offense by a registered sex offender charge carries up to 10 years in prison to be consecutively to the highest sentence imposed on the other three charges. It also carries an up to a $250,000 fine.
Pat Maio can be reached at pat@cowboystatedaily.com.
