Bozeman man sentenced to 6 years in prison for receiving child pornography

MISSOULA - A Bozeman man who collected Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM) was sentenced today to six years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Jaden Douglas Batson, 24, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of receiving child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that over the course of two years Batson purchased and collected CSAM in the form of images and videos of children.

The case began in June 2023 when law enforcement received an online tip that Batson had paid $20 for illicit material that included the note, "For the cp gc." Law enforcement continued to receive additional tips from online service providers that Batson was trading and uploading Child Sex Abuse Materials. That allowed officers to obtain multiple search warrants that they served on various electronic service accounts registered to Batson. A search warrant on Batson's Bozeman residence served on April 9, 2025, and a subsequent search of his phone, turned up approximately 688 videos and 362 images. Batson admitted in an interview with law enforcement that he had traded CSAM on social media sites.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The Bozeman Police Department 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.