The charges against Virgil Allen Wolfe in Cascade County District Court have been dismissed and he now faces charges in federal court.
Wolfe, a former Lewis and Clark County sheriff’s deputy, pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and denied allegations of forfeiture during his federal arraignment Tuesday.
Court documents state that over several years, Wolfe persuaded a victim to engage in sexual conduct. He then produced sexually explicit materials that were distributed across state lines, according to court documents.
The forfeiture allegation means Wolfe must forfeit a computer tower and hard drive, a camera, and a memory card to the government if convicted.
Wolfe was first arrested in February and initially charged with 80 counts of sexual abuse of children.
He was a deputy for the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office in the late 1990s.
His trial has been set for May 28 in Helena.
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(April 3, 2019) Virgil Allen Wolfe, the former Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s deputy facing 80 counts of sexual abuse of children, was arrested Tuesday for a bail violation.
Wolfe was arrested for violating a bail condition that he avoid all contact with any alleged victim or potential prosecution witness.
Court documents state Wolfe called authorities on March 29 from the residence of one of the alleged victims and said he had tried to harm himself.
He also reported “there were people inside the residence, but he was not trying to wake them.”
When deputies arrived, Wolfe told them he knew he wasn’t supposed to be there due to his bail conditions, according to court documents.
Wolfe was first arrested in February and charged with 80 counts of sexual abuse of children.
The Cascade County Sheriff’s Office started investigating in June of 2017 after the victim disclosed the alleged abuse to a counselor. The victim said the abuse started when she was a young child living in Helena.
In court documents, the victim said the abuse continued into her teens and while she was living in Cascade County. The victim said Wolfe told her not to tell anyone.
During the investigation, deputies discovered Wolfe was a deputy for the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office in the late 1990s.
They also sent several electronic items to the Department of Homeland Security for forensic analysis.
According to court documents, agents found hundreds of photographs of children in various stages of undress on the electronic items.
His bail was set at $500,000 Wednesday.
