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Press Release

Bozeman Man Gets 10 Years For Child Pornography

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana

The United States Attorney's Office announced that on April 17, 2014, MATTHEW RYAN PETTIT, 30, of Bozeman, was sentenced to a term of 120 months' imprisonment and 20 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, in connection with his January 2014 guilty plea to possession of child pornography.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson told the Court in Missoula that that in April of 2012 a Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") Special Agent determined there was an Internet Protocol address ("IP address") offering known child pornography files for download via the Internet. The agent successfully downloaded video files which depicted child pornography. The agent determined the location of the residence-the home of Matthew Pettit-associated with the IP address, and a search warrant was obtained.

On November 15, 2012, officers conducted a search of the Pettit's residence. Several items were seized including a laptop computer belonging to Pettit and a wireless router which he had installed. Forensic analysis of the seized laptop computer revealed that Pettit's laptop contained files depicting child pornography (a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct). Peer-to-peer file sharing clients, with whom images are exchanged, were also discovered on the laptop.

Updated January 14, 2015