Havre man admits to receiving child pornography

 GREAT FALLS – A Havre man accused of receiving child pornography on his cell phone admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.

Joshua Daniel Kaupang, 38, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. Kaupang faces a mandatory minimum five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years to life of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for Sept. 19. Kaupang was released pending further proceedings.

In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that in January 2019 in Havre, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Kaupang’s cell phone looking for evidence in a theft case. While searching the phone, agents observed child pornography files. An agent applied for a second search warrant and located child pornography. The investigation determined that Kaupang used his phone to view “sets” of child pornography that were available for download.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Montana Division of Criminal investigation.

This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.