Billings man admits to distributing child pornography

BILLINGS — A Billings man today admitted to distributing child pornography using social media, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Stetson Lee Hubbard, 33, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. Hubbard faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Sept. 27. Hubbard was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that in January 2020, law enforcement began an investigation using a social media application and posed as woman from Wisconsin. Law enforcement entered multiple public groups that appeared to be focused on child pornography. While in one such group, a member of the group distributed child pornography. An investigation determined that the address associated with the distribution originated in Billings and ultimately led to Hubbard as the account’s owner. When interviewed, Hubbard acknowledged using the social media application and that he may have distributed child pornography on that application. Law enforcement subsequently found child pornography on Hubbard’s cellular phone.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.

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. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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