Indiana Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Montana for Sex With Minor

A 32-year-old Indiana man pleaded guilty to federal charges after prosecutors alleged he traveled to Montana to engage in sexual conduct with a 15-year-old girl and kept explicit images of her on his phone. Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith announced the plea.

Editor's Note: The following details are based on federal court documents and official admissions made during court proceedings.

Federal Charges and Prison Time for Brandon Cole Stoliby

Brandon Cole Stoliby admitted to one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of transportation of child pornography. The first charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, between five years and life of supervised release, and financial penalties including a $250,000 fine. The second charge carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years, along with its own set of fines and assessments.

Federal Sentencing Scheduled for November

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto took the guilty plea. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Malloy will determine Stoliby's sentence at a hearing scheduled for November 3, weighing federal sentencing guidelines along with other statutory factors. Stoliby remains in custody as the case moves forward.

How the Snapchat Relationship Began

Court documents outline how Stoliby and the girl connected through Snapchat in March 2025. Prosecutors said the girl initially told Stoliby she was 18, and he began sending her sexually explicit messages and pushing her to send explicit photos of herself. Investigators later recovered those images from Stoliby's phone following his arrest.

Details of Trip From Indiana to Missoula and Butte

By April 2025, Stoliby and the girl had arranged for him to pick her up in Montana and bring her back to Indiana. He made the cross-country trip with his family. Prosecutors alleged that he and the girl discussed selling explicit images of her to help finance the move. Stoliby reached Missoula County on April 6, retrieved the girl from her home, and drove her to Butte, where prosecutors said the two engaged in sexual activity.

Multi-State Police Intervention and Warnings

The pair continued on to Rapid City, South Dakota, where law enforcement authorities intervened and removed the girl from Stoliby's custody. Officers explicitly informed Stoliby of her true age at that point. Despite the law enforcement warning, Stoliby allegedly met up with the girl again the following day to resume heading toward Indiana, prompting the girl's guardians to demand her return via text message.

Suspect Tracked to Billings and Powder River County

Stoliby then drove back to Montana and spent the night in Billings, where prosecutors alleged he and his wife again attempted to engage the girl in sexual activity. The next day, the girl was temporarily returned to her guardians in Missoula County. That same night, Stoliby went back to Missoula County and picked her up once more without her guardians' knowledge. The two were eventually stopped by authorities in Powder River County, and the girl was returned to her family.

Stoliby Confesses to Relationship With Minor

Following his arrest, Stoliby admitted to investigators that he had exchanged explicit images with the girl, engaged in a sexual relationship with her, and kept photos she had sent him, according to federal court documents.

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Missoula County Sheriff & Project Safe Childhood

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Missoula County Sheriff's Department. The prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched to combat child sexual exploitation. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify offenders and rescue victims.