A Billings man has been convicted by a federal jury of sexually abusing a child on the Crow Indian Reservation, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Matthew Paul Stopsatprettyplaces, 49, was found guilty of abusive sexual contact of a child after a trial lasting one and a half days. He faces up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and between five years and a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case and will determine the sentence after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for April 8, 2026.
Court documents and trial testimony revealed that in 2019 Stopsatprettyplaces gave nine-year-old Jane Doe a ride to a family member’s residence in Hardin. During the trip, he assaulted her while she was asleep by touching her thighs and then fondling her under her shirt when she woke up. On another occasion at Jane Doe’s home in Hardin, Stopsatprettyplaces kissed her repeatedly and fondled her over her clothes when she was ten years old.
Jane Doe later disclosed the abuse to a therapist several years after the incidents occurred. The therapist reported it to authorities as required by law, which led to an FBI investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Hendricks and Paul Vestal prosecuted the case with investigative support from the FBI.
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