Martin City Man Pleads Guilty to Producing, Distributing Child Pornography of 6-Year-Old He Babysat

Defendant faces mandatory minimum 15-30 years in federal prison, fled home before arrest

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Russell Smith Courthouse Exterior
The Russell Smith Federal Courthouse in Missoula serves the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.

By
Jul 15, 2025

MISSOULA — A Martin City man from the Flathead County community near Glacier National Park pleaded guilty Tuesday to producing and distributing child pornography involving a 6-year-old victim he was babysitting, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Raymond Owen Bonner Jr., 40, entered guilty pleas to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto.

The charges carry severe penalties. Bonner faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 to 30 years for production, along with a $250,000 fine and supervised release ranging from five years to life. The distribution charge carries a mandatory minimum of five to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and supervised release of five years to life.

Court documents reveal that in August 2024, an FBI undercover agent operating in applications known for trafficking child sexual abuse material discovered disturbing messages in a chat room. The user, later identified as Bonner, had posted messages in June and July 2024 stating he had access to a 6-year-old girl and was sexually abusing the child.

“The user, later identified as Bonner, posted images and videos of his abuse that verified his hands-on access to Doe. Bonner told other users in the chat room he was Doe’s babysitter,” court documents state.

When investigators responded to Bonner’s Martin City address on Sept. 5, 2024, he fled his residence before law enforcement arrived. FBI agents located the victim at a nearby home, where she and others confirmed Bonner was her babysitter and later identified him as the person abusing her in the distributed images and videos.

The FBI seized several devices from Bonner’s home, including a cell phone. A search of the phone revealed images and videos of the victim that matched those posted by Bonner to the chat room. Bonner was arrested on Sept. 19, 2024.

U.S. District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine Bonner’s sentence after considering federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 19, 2025. Bonner remains detained pending further proceedings.

The federal charges focus on the production and distribution of child pornography. Additional sexual abuse charges could potentially be filed at the state level by local prosecutors.

Western Montana News has contacted the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office to inquire about potential state charges.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The FBI and Flathead County Sheriff’s Office 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 child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

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