Former Colstrip police officer sentenced eight years in prison for receiving child pornography

BILLINGS — A former Colstrip Police Department officer who admitted to directing a minor girl to send him sexually explicit pictures and videos of herself was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Hossein Cristiano Luigi Borhan, 49, of Billings, pleaded guilty in February to an information charging him with receipt of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court also ordered $4,237 restitution.

“By using his position as a law enforcement officer, Borhan violated the public’s trust and used a minor girl for his own sexual gratification. Our office has no greater responsibility than to protect our children from sexual exploitation and we will do whatever it takes to hold accountable those who seek to harm them. Today, we did just that,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

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. Borhan used his position as a police officer to gain the trust and friendship of the girl and carried on a secret relationship with her for almost a year under the guise of being her mentor, counselor and therapist. 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 prosecuted 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 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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