Former Colstrip police officer admits to receiving child pornography

BILLINGS — A former Colstrip Police Department officer accused of communicating with a minor girl and directing her to send him pictures and videos of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct admitted to a child pornography crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Hossein Cristiano Luigi Borhan, 49, of Billings, was arraigned on and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with receipt of child pornography. Borhan faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a $5,000 special assessment and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Borhan’s release was continued pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that between August 2021 and April 2022, while serving as a Colstrip police officer, Borhan was engaged in an online messaging relationship with a minor girl, identified as Jane Doe. The conversation became sexual in nature, and Jane Doe complied with Borhan’s instructions to send him pictures and videos of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In an interview with law enforcement, Borhan admitted to sending Jane Doe approximately 20 sexual pictures and videos of himself and estimated receiving hundreds of sexual images and videos from her.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office and Colstrip Police Department. 

This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.

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