Billings Police Department

Human trafficker sentenced to life in prison following DCI investigation
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Human trafficker sentenced to life in prison following DCI investigation

Press release from the Montana Attorney General’s Office HELENA – A Billings man was sentenced today to life in prison for kidnapping minors, transporting a person for illegal sexual activity, and drug trafficking and firearms crimes following an investigation by the Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). “As a result of the…

Nevada woman sentenced to eight years in prison for transporting minor to Montana for prostitution
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Nevada woman sentenced to eight years in prison for transporting minor to Montana for prostitution

BILLINGS  — A Nevada woman who admitted to bringing a minor girl to Billings for prostitution was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Ashley Michael Stella, 29, of Reno, Nevada, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to transportation of a minor…

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Billings man sentenced to five years in prison for sending nude picture of himself to fictitious girl in undercover operation

BILLINGS  — A Billings man who admitted to sending a nude picture of himself to a fictitious girl during an undercover sting operation was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Martin Leo Jimenez, 28, pleaded guilty in May to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that in October 2021, law enforcement was conducting an undercover sting investigation to identify and arrest individuals who were attempting to have sex with children. Jimenez responded to an undercover post and began to correspond with a fictitious mother to arrange for a sexual encounter with the mother’s fictitious 11-year-old daughter. During electronic communications with the undercover officer, Jimenez offered that he had “no age limits,” sent a nude picture of himself and discussed the various sexual acts he wanted to perform on the fictitious girl. The parties made plans to meet, and law enforcement arrested Jimenez when he arrived at the location. Jimenez later acknowledged that he intended to have sex with the mother and daughter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.

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Sex trafficking problem entrenched in Montana, officials say
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Sex trafficking problem entrenched in Montana, officials say

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A woman made a call from a Billings motel room sometime in 2016. She called her family, telling them that over the past several days a man had forced her to be raped for money by other men in Billings, Missoula and Salt Lake City. The man controlling her was Terrance Tyrell…