Montana Sex Trafficking Case: Indiana Man Gets 15 Years in Prison for Underage Girl

An Indiana man who traveled to Montana to have sex with a minor and had explicit images of her on his phone was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Scott Twito said.

Missoula Federal Sentencing Announced

Brandon Cole Stoliby, 33, pleaded guilty in July 2026 to traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and transportation of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided over the case.

How a Montana Teen Met an Indiana Man on Snapchat

According to court documents, Stoliby met a 15-year-old Montana girl through Snapchat in March 2025. She presented herself as 18. The government alleged that Stoliby quickly showed sexual interest in her, sent explicit messages, and persuaded her to send him explicit images. Those images were later found on his phone.

By April 2025, the two had made plans for Stoliby to travel to Montana, pick her up, and move her to Indiana. The government alleged they also planned for her to sell explicit images of herself to help cover the costs of the trip and the move.

Missoula County Pickup and Arrest in Montana

Stoliby arrived in Missoula County on April 6, 2025, and picked the girl up from her home. He traveled from Indiana with his wife and children. On the trip back, while still in Montana, the two engaged in sexual intercourse.

Law enforcement removed the girl from Stoliby’s custody and told him she was 15 years old. Court documents say that despite this knowledge, he again tried to transport her to Indiana and kept child sex abuse material depicting her.

Stoliby was eventually arrested in Montana. He admitted in interviews with law enforcement that he exchanged sexually explicit images with the girl, engaged in a sexual relationship with her, and kept the explicit photos she sent him.

Investigation and Prosecution in Montana

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.

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Project Safe Childhood Initiative

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the program marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims.