Montana AG urges parents to talk to kids about online dangers this June

HELENA, Mont. — Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and the state Department of Justice urges families to be extra careful online during Internet Crimes Against Children Prevention Month.

Knudsen said the state’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is encouraging people to watch for online threats and take steps to protect children.

“As technology continues to evolve, protecting children from online predators has never been more important,” Knudsen said in a release. “At the Montana Department of Justice, we will continue to do everything we can to investigate these crimes, hold predators accountable and keep kids safe from sexual exploitation. Please, do your part and talk to your kids about the dangers lurking online.”

The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force receives cyber tips from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and investigates cases involving people who used the internet or other technology to exploit children.

From June 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026, DCI received 3,542 child sexual abuse material cyber tips, Knudsen said. The department also cited national figures from NCMEC showing 21.3 million CyberTipline reports in 2025, along with a 158% increase in reported online enticement and a 323% increase in reported child sex trafficking from 2024.

State officials urge parents to think carefully before posting photos of their children online, keep social media accounts private and avoid sharing personal details or locations. They also warned families to watch for strangers who try to build trust quickly through frequent messages or compliments.

The department pointed to a case from last year in Carter County. Prosecutors charged Shy Herbert McCutchan with three felony counts tied to child sexual abuse material after investigators found he used images from a parents’ public social media account and used AI to alter them.

The department said House Bill 82, which passed and was signed into law during the 2025 legislative session, allowed prosecutors to charge sex predators who use artificial intelligence to digitally change images.

The department also said sextortion had been rising in Montana. Officials described those cases as situations where predators pressured victims to send explicit images and then used those images to demand money or force other actions.