GREAT FALLS — A member of the U.S. Air Force at the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls today admitted to allegations that he obtained and sold images of child sexual abuse material using social media, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Brandon Earl Bankston, 23, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to sell child pornography. Bankston faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for March 14, 2024. Bankston was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in the summer of 2021, the Great Falls Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was alerted that a suspect in Montana had uploaded videos containing known child sexual abuse material to an account on “X,” formerly known as Twitter. The task force also learned that a Snapchat user with a Montana address had posted an image of child sexual abuse material. The investigation determined that the internet provider addresses belonged to Bankston, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force assigned to the 341st Missile Security Forces Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base. Bankston admitted to Air Force investigators to possessing and distributing the child sexual abuse material in exchange for payment from users across various internet platforms.
Bankston told investigators that he obtained images and videos of the material through a messaging platform and stored the material on a cloud-based site in New Zealand. He further admitted to selling the child sexual abuse material to approximately 25 individuals. In a search of Bankston’s electronic devices, social media platforms, bank accounts and cloud-based storage applications, investigators determined he possessed approximately 5,000 images of child sexual abuse material and approximately 3,000 images and videos of the material saved in storage accounts. In addition, investigators determined Bankston received approximately $6,750 for child sexual abuse material sales from 42 separate transactions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes is prosecuting the case. The Great Falls Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.justice.gov/psc.
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