Missoula Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Distributing Child Porn
MISSOULA — Nicholas Geoffrey Combs, a 29-year-old man from Missoula, has been sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison for distributing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Combs pleaded guilty in December 2023 to distribution of child pornography. He was also ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution.
The investigation began in June 2022 when Snapchat reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user had uploaded two videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit content to its service.
A law enforcement investigation determined that the Snapchat account belonged to Combs, who admitted to trading videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit content with other users on social media sites, including Reddit and Snapchat.
Combs also admitted to being sexually attracted to minors, soliciting and receiving sexually explicit pictures from children with whom he interacted online, and sometimes pretending to be a child to solicit the images.
Law enforcement seized Combs’ electronic devices and found thousands of images and videos of graphic sexual and physical violence against children, including babies.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided over the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case, with the Missoula Police Department and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducting the investigation.
The 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.
“There is no more important duty of our office than to protect kids by holding accountable those who seek to victimize them,” U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said in a statement. “Our office has prosecuted many people who pose grave dangers to children, but Combs’ conduct is among the worst I’ve seen during my time as Montana’s U.S. Attorney.”
Combs will serve 17 years and six months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. The total sentence of 30 years means Combs will spend the rest of his life either in federal prison or under federal supervision.
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Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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