Lolo man admits to child pornography charges

MISSOULA — A Lolo man accused of distributing and receiving child pornography admitted to charges on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.

U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich says 29-year-old Erik Robert Salazar pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and receipt of child pornography.

Salazar faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release on each charge.

The Missoula County Sheriff's Office Internet Crimes Against Children detectives received a Cyber Tipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in September of 2023.

Prosecutors said the report originated from Snapchat, which reported to NCMEC that a user — later identified as Salazar — had uploaded two images of child sexual abuse material on their servers in August 2023.

According to a news release, detectives determined that the Snapchat account belonged to Salazar and received the remaining content of his account.

Law enforcement also found Salazar's communications with other parties on Snapchat were "replete with contact with minor females" from between September 2015 and October 2023.

Prosecutors say Salazar consistently requested images and videos from minors with whom he was communicating of those minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Some of the minors sent Salazar such images and videos in response to his requests. Salazar then used Snapchat to send some of these minors images and videos depicting other minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided and a sentencing date in the case has been set for March 13, 2025. Salazar was detained pending further proceedings.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case which was investigated by the FBI and the Missoula County Sheriff's Office.