Chester man pleads guilty to child pornography charges

GREAT FALLS - A Chester man accused of possessing images and videos depicting child pornography admitted to charges yesterday, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.

The defendant, Brandon Wayne Roos, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography which carries the following penalties: a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set for a later date. Roos was released on conditions pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that on September 24, 2023, Brandon Wayne Roos attempted to cross into Montana from Canada at the Sweetgrass Port of Entry. Acting on a tip, the Border Patrol seized Roos' cell phone and searched it, finding several videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The investigation revealed the images were downloaded to Roos' phone via the Telegram application and officers found a total of 151 images and 49 videos of child pornography. When interviewed, Roos admitted purchasing and downloading child pornography images via Telegram to both his phone and computer at his home in Chester.

Law enforcement traveled to Roos' home and seized his computer. A forensic examination revealed 50 images and eight videos of child pornography.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Liberty County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

XXX