A Missoula man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for enticing a minor and possession of child pornography, charges he pleaded guilty to in June.
Bart Holt, 47, was arrested in Billings on Aug. 1, 2005, when he traveled to meet what he thought would be a young girl he'd made an Internet arrangement with a month before. In fact, Holt had been talking with an FBI agent posing as a teenage girl in Internet chat rooms.
Holt, a podiatrist, first met the agent in December 2004 at a time when the U.S. Justice Department was running an investigation called “Project Safe Childhood.” According to prosecutors, Holt engaged the “girl” in discussions about sex; during those conversations, reference was made to the girl's young age. Holt and the “girl” had a number of conversations over the next few months. During those conversations, Holt posed as a 19-year-old college student.
Eventually, however, he told the “girl” that he was 46 years old and a doctor in Missoula.
In July 2005, Holt made arrangements to meet the “girl” in Billings, where they would have sex despite the fact that Holt knew he could be arrested for doing so with an underage girl.
Holt arrived in Billings on Aug. 1, but wound up being met by federal agents rather than a teenage girl. He tried to flee, but was easily caught and arrested.
A subsequent analysis of Holt's computer revealed numerous images of child pornography that he had received through the Internet. According to court records, he also admitted that he'd had similar conversations with a 14-year-old girl in Great Falls and that he'd sent the girl sexually explicit images of himself.
Contacted by officers in Great Falls, the girl confirmed Holt's admission.
Holt was charged with coercion and enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull sentenced Holt to 10 years in prison and another 15 years on supervised probation. He also had to forfeit his cell phone, a computer and a Web cam.
The federal system has no parole, so Holt will likely serve most of his sentence. He has the opportunity to earn about 18 months off for good behavior.
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