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By supporting our sponsors, you support case file to continue to deliver quality content. As a young man in the 1970s, Tom Montgomery had enlisted in the Marines, but he never saw active combat. By the time he was discharged, he developed a drinking problem. When he married Cindy and had his first daughter, Montgomery found the motivation he needed to address his addiction. A few years later, he and Cindy welcomed their second child. Tom Montgomery became a dedicated father who volunteered with his daughter's swimming club and taught Sunday school at the family's church. He provided for his family by working as a machinist at Dynabrade, a power tool company with headquarters in the New York town of Clarence. The job didn't engage him in the same way that the military did, but he made a go of it and became friends with some of his co-workers. Over the years, Montgomery began to struggle again. He had difficulties with a rectal dysfunction and his marriage suffered both physically and emotionally. Communication between him and Cindy dropped to a no time low and Montgomery sought refuge on the internet. He spent countless hours in online gaming rooms, playing games and chatting with strangers, as it was easier confiding in people he didn't know via words on a screen. Montgomery was careful not to share any information about his wife and daughters, but he opened up about some of his problems with the other gamers he met. The first time Jesse reached out to him in Pogo's Blackjack room, Montgomery was enticed by the thought of an attractive young woman. But when Jesse asked why he was in a room for kids when his profile listed him as 46, Montgomery panicked. He'd heard about sting operations where undercover agents infiltrated online spaces looking for sexual predators. Acting on impulse, Montgomery lied to Jesse, telling her he was 18 and using his dad's account. When Jesse sent him photos of herself wearing swimsuits, he was entranced. He began concocting the character of Tommy so he could keep talking with her. Montgomery made up stories about Tommy's past and gave his alter ego a troubled background to help win Jesse's sympathy. The photo he'd sent her was actually a 30-year-old photo of Montgomery in his own Marines

uniform.