A man from Billings is facing charges related to the distribution of child pornography. U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced that Kole David Kuntz, a 41-year-old, appeared for arraignment where he entered a plea of not guilty to two counts of distributing child pornography.
If found guilty, Kuntz could receive a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a supervised release period lasting from five years to life.
The arraignment took place in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Tim Cavan. Kuntz was subsequently released while awaiting further court proceedings.
The indictment asserts that in November 2024, Kuntz knowingly distributed visual content that involved a minor participating in sexually explicit conduct. This distribution allegedly took place across state lines, leveraging digital means like computers and the internet.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus is handling the prosecution, while the FBI conducted the investigation. This prosecution forms part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative employs federal, state, and local resources to identify and prosecute offenders and aid victims. Details about Project Safe Childhood can be accessed at Justice.gov/PSC.
It is important to remember that the charges are only accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
For case tracking, the reference number is 25-40. Updates on this and other cases can be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To obtain a PACER account for electronic document access, individuals can visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. The District Court’s calendar is viewable at https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
