Spalliero admits to sexual abuse of children
Anthony Spalliero
A Ronan man, accused of misrepresenting himself on social media to obtain explicit images of underage girls, admitted to related charges. Anthony Joseph Spalliero, 47, pled guilty in District Court in Polson March 12 to four counts of sexual abuse of children and one count of intimidation for threatening a girl to send more.
The pleas were entered as part of an agreement that could dismiss one count of sexual abuse of children at sentencing. It also suggests a 50-year prison term with 20 years suspended. The judge is not bound by the agreement.
According to court records, the investigation into Spalliero began on Aug. 4, 2024, after the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a 17-year-old girl. She reported that Spalliero was threatening her over the phone. Initially, she did not want law enforcement to respond, but deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office provided extra patrol near the girl’s home.
About 90 minutes later, she called back to report that Spalliero was outside her home and driving a gray SUV.
She informed deputies that she began communicating with Spalliero on a social media platform over a year ago and thought Spalliero was 19 years old. She also indicated that she had shared explicit images of herself with him and that he was now threatening to harm her, her family, and pets if she didn’t send more.
About that same time, the deputies on extra patrol in the area of the girl’s home saw a gray SUV matching the description of Spalliero’s SUV. Spalliero allegedly texted the girl, “I see you called the cops.”
As the deputies were attempting to read the license plate of the gray SUV, it crashed, and Spalliero was transported to a hospital in Missoula with unspecified injuries. The deputies collected the girl’s phone.
Spalliero was released from the hospital on Aug. 5, 2024, and arrested at his residence. A different 17-year-old girl was living with Spalliero at the time and the deputies collected her phone.
Six explicit images of the initial reporting party and 17 explicit images of the girl at Spalliero’s residence were on one phone. Another phone had about 1,000 images of sexual child abuse material or SCAM.
Judge Molly Owen set sentencing for June 18 to allow time for a sex offender evaluation. Spalliero remains in the Lake County Jail with bail set at $500,000.