Distribution of child pornography sends Great Falls man to prison for more than 12 years

GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man who admitted to sending child pornography videos to an undercover agent in an online chat room was sentenced today to 12 years and six months in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.

Joshua Nathan Stillman, 46, pleaded guilty in June to distribution of child pornography.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that in November and December 2020, an undercover FBI agent was in an online chat room on an application available to cell phone users. On Nov. 23, 2020, a user in that chat room distributed two videos depicting child pornography to the undercover agent. An investigation determined that Stillman was the user who distributed the videos to the agent, and Stillman admitted that he distributed the videos in the chat room. A search warrant was executed on Stillman’s residence, and law enforcement seized and analyzed Stillman’s cell phone. Stillman’s cell phone contained more than 300 images and videos depicting child pornography.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI and Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation.

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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