GREAT FALLS — Andrew Donovan Carter of Great Falls, accused of inducing a minor girl in Pennsylvania to send him sexually explicit photographs of herself, admitted to charges in federal court on Tuesday.
Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said in a news release that Carter pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child.
Prosecutors alleged in court documents that in August 2020, a Pennsylvania law enforcement agency contacted Carter’s state probation officer regarding Carter using social media sites to engage in sexually explicit communications with a 14-year-old girl.
According to the Montana Department of Corrections, Carter was on probation at the time after being convicted of felony sexual assault in Cascade County.
The probation officer requested assistance from the Great Falls Police Department, which is a member of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The girl told investigators that she met a boy she believed to be 16 years old and communicated with him online, and said that he asked her to send him nude pictures of herself. The supposed 16-year-old boy was actually Carter, who is 29 years old.
The girl took sexually explicit photographs of herself and sent them to Carter using a cell phone. Court documents state that Carter admitted asking for and receiving the nude, sexually explicit images of the girl, and said he would view them and delete them. He also admitted he got sexual gratification from viewing the images.
Carter faces a mandatory minimum 25 years to 50 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided and set sentencing for December 2. Carter remains in custody pending further proceedings.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Great Falls Police Department and Montana Department of Corrections’ Probation and Parole.
