Billings Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Child Exploitation
A Billings man who admitted to having sexual conversations with a minor girl through social media was sentenced to five years in prison, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Kyle Jason Swindler, 42, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. The court also ordered $2,000 restitution.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case. Swindler was arrested in 2021 when he showed up to meet the undercover agent who was posing as a 13-year-old girl.
According to court documents, law enforcement conducted an undercover operation in Billings to identify and arrest individuals who were attempting to have sex with children. Swindler responded to a social media post by an undercover agent who was posing as a 13-year-old girl.
When the undercover agent identified herself as 13 years old, Swindler responded with a comment that became sexual in nature. Swindler and the undercover agent arranged to meet in a public park for a sexual encounter. Swindler drove to the park, where he was arrested.
Law enforcement searched Swindler’s vehicle and found sex-related items. Officers also searched Swindler’s cell phone and recovered the original social media conversation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office, and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was initiated under the Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.
Related Federal Cases
- Andrew Scott Brown, Coercion & Child Porn, Montana 2024 · Alabama
- George Chad Deputee, Child Sex Abuse, Montana 2023 · North Dakota
- George Chad Deputee, Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child, Montana 1999 · Utah
- Benjamin Thomas Urry, Child Pornography Possession, Montana 2022 · Wyoming
- Richard Charles Saari, Child Pornography, Montana 2017 · Wyoming
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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