COEUR d'ALENE - A 24-year-old North Idaho man was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison for transportation of sexually explicit images of children, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.Troy Levi Williamson, of Oldtown, just west of Priest River, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill, who also ordered Williamson to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

He pleaded guilty to the charge on June 20, 2012.According to court documents, in July 2010, an officer with the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force developed information that a computer in Oldtown possessed sexually explicit images of children.

Task force officers prepared and served a federal search warrant in September 2010.A U.S. Secret Service forensic examiner found that such images were on Williamson's computer.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.