Pryor Man Gets 5 Years for Child Sexual Abuse Material

A Pryor man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after child sexual abuse material was found on his cell phone, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.

Melville Lee Stops, Jr., 23, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after his prison sentence. He pleaded guilty in June 2026 to receiving child pornography, which is the legal name of the federal charge. Child sexual abuse material, often shortened to CSAM, is the more accurate term used to describe images or videos depicting the sexual abuse or exploitation of children.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case.

Pryor Man Sentenced in Federal Child Sexual Abuse Material Case

Federal prosecutors said Stops was sentenced Oct. 7 after investigators found a video containing sexually explicit material involving a minor on his phone.

The sentence follows a federal investigation that began after Stops attended a house party in June 2022 and left his cell phone behind when he left.

Cell Phone Left at Party Led to CSAM Investigation

According to court documents, another person at the party found the phone and discovered videos involving underage girls. The person reported what was found to law enforcement.

In December 2025, investigators served a search warrant on the phone and found the videos, prosecutors said.

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FBI Investigated Pryor Child Sexual Abuse Material Case

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation, according to the federal news release on the Pryor sentencing.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative focused on investigating and prosecuting child sexual exploitation and abuse cases and identifying victims.