Federal Jury Convicts Billings Predator; Life Sentence Now Possible

A federal jury has convicted a Billings man of sexually assaulting a child on the Crow Indian Reservation, and with that verdict, another sexual predator has been taken off the street. The announcement came on Wednesday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.

Jury Delivers Quick Guilty Verdict and Severe Potential Penalties

It took just a day and a half for jurors to hear the evidence and find 49-year-old Matthew Paul Stopsatprettyplaces guilty of abusive sexual contact of a child. With this conviction, he now faces the possibility of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a supervised release term that could last the rest of his life.

Sentencing Set for Spring 2026

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters oversaw the trial and will issue the sentence on April 8, 2026. The court will weigh federal sentencing guidelines and the severity of the crime before deciding how much prison time he will serve.

READ MORE: Yellowstone County’s Latest Arrests: Names and Charges

Prosecutors Outline Two Separate Assaults Against the Child

Prosecutors detailed two incidents from 2019 involving a girl identified as Jane Doe. The first happened while Stopsatprettyplaces was driving the 9-year-old to a family member’s home in Hardin. She was asleep when the abuse began. A second assault occurred later at the child’s home when she was 10, involving unwanted touching and kissing.

Delayed Disclosure Leads to Federal Investigation

Jane Doe didn’t disclose the abuse right away. Years later, she shared what happened during a therapy session. Her therapist filed a mandatory report, which set off an FBI investigation that ultimately brought the case to federal court.

Federal Prosecutors and FBI Team Built the Case

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Hendricks and Paul Vestal prosecuted the case, while the FBI led the investigation that gathered the evidence jurors relied on to reach their verdict.

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Predator Awaits Sentencing and Potential Life Term

With the guilty verdict now in place, sentencing is the next step. But even before the final penalty is handed down, one thing is clear: a predator who targeted a child is no longer walking free, and he now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.