A Carlsbad man was sentenced to 85 months in federal prison for possession of child abuse materials.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between December 30, 2023, and March 25, 2024, Sammy Clouthier, 45, knowingly possessed child pornography involving a prepubescent minor.
At the time, Clouthier was a sergeant with the New Mexico State Police.
Clouthier was also ordered to pay over $52,000 in restitution to the victims. Upon his release from prison, Clouthier will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force of the Federal Bureau Investigation and the New Mexico State Police.
Assistant United States Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighbourhoods safer for everyone.
On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
