BOZEMAN — A repeat sex offender will spend the next 30 years behind bars for possessing child sexual abuse material.
Aaron Allen Brown was sentenced in Gallatin County District Court. The 33-year-old was caught with multiple images and videos showing adult males raping elementary-aged girls.
Police say Brown was actively trading this illegal material through encrypted messaging apps. A search warrant executed by the Belgrade Police Department allowed investigators to find that he was having graphic conversations about raping children and babies.
This isn't Brown's first offense. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old when he was 20. He was serving a suspended sentence for those crimes when he committed this new offense.
Judge Rienne McElyea gave Brown 10 years for the child abuse material conviction. She also revoked his suspended sentence, adding 20 more years to his prison time.
Brown is now classified as a Level 3 sex offender. He'll have to complete sex offender treatment in prison. When he gets out, he'll be on the sex offender registry for life.
County Attorney Audrey Cromwell says possessing child sexual abuse material perpetuates the abuse of real children. She says her office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to protect the community.
In a release, Cromwell stated, “This defendant’s conduct demonstrates a disgusting and dangerous sexual interest in children. Possessing child sexual abuse material perpetuates the abuse of real children and causes lifelong harm.”
Brown will serve his sentence at Montana State Prison.
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