BILLINGS — A Canadian national who traveled to Montana to engage in illicit sexual conduct was arraigned today on charges of attempted coercion and enticement, and child pornography crimes, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Andrew Scott Brown, 43, of Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with attempted coercion and enticement, three counts of distribution of child pornography, and travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
If convicted of the most serious crime, Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided over the arraignment, during which Brown was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that from Jan. 27 through May 6, at Billings and in Canada, Brown used the internet and a cellular telephone to attempt to entice and coerce an individual he believed had not attained the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity.
Brown also is accused of sending images that contain Child Sexual Abuse Material to an undercover law enforcement persona. Law enforcement arrested Brown on May 6 when he traveled to Billings to meet with the undercover persona.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Billings Police Department, and the FBI conducted the investigation, which was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
Brown’s case was brought as part of this initiative, which 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.
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Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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