Informational: Federal Court Arraignment
| U.S. Attorney’s Office July 26, 2011 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on July 25, 2011, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn S. Ostby, the following individual was arraigned:
JASON DEAN PITSCH, a 41-year-old resident of Garryowen, appeared on a charge of viewing child pornography. He is currently detained. If convicted of this charge, PITSCH faces possible penalties of a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and could be sentenced to 20 years, a $250,000 fine and lifetime supervision. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia K. Hurd is the prosecutor for the United States. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Billings Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
The defendant pled not guilty to the charge.
The charge—an indictment, information, or complaint—is merely an accusation and all persons named as defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A pre-trial conference and a trial date will be set and the United States will be required to prove the allegations set forth in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt.