A Martin City man, Raymond Owen Bonner, Jr., 40, admitted guilt to charges of producing and distributing child pornography, as stated by U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. The plea involves a potential sentence ranging from 15 to 30 years for production and 5 to 20 years for distribution, with fines up to $250,000 and supervised release from five years to life.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided over the proceedings, while U.S. District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine the final sentence on November 19, 2025, considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Court documents revealed that an FBI undercover operation in August 2024 discovered Bonner's activities in chat rooms known for trafficking child sexual abuse material. Bonner had posted messages claiming access to a six-year-old girl (referred to as Jane Doe) and shared images and videos verifying his access and abuse.
On September 5, 2024, law enforcement found Jane Doe near Bonner's residence after he fled. Both Doe and others confirmed Bonner's role as her babysitter and abuser. The FBI seized several devices from Bonner’s home containing incriminating evidence matching the distributed materials.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case with investigations conducted by the FBI and Flathead County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating child exploitation online since May 2006.
