(Updated 4:30 p.m. MDT, 01/05/2024 with further details from the Bozeman Public Schools Superintendent)
BOZEMAN — A Bozeman man faces charges after allegedly sending nude pictures of himself to an undercover investigator in Vermont posing as a 14-year-old girl.
Brian Michael Kilcoyne, 37, was arrested for indecent exposure to a minor on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. He appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court on Thursday.
A detective with the Bozeman Police Department said in charging documents that on Jan. 3, she was made aware of an investigation by the Hartford Police Department in Hartford, Vermont that began on Oct. 1, 2023.
A Hartford Police investigator was working undercover, posing as a 14-year-old girl on a mobile messaging app. The investigator is referred to as “UC” in court documents.
On Oct, 1, Kilcoyne allegedly messaged UC, who told him she was 14 and lived in Vermont. He acknowledged her age, said he lived in Montana and was in his 30s, eventually asking UC to be his girlfriend, according to court documents.
From October through December, Kilcoyne allegedly sent UC four images of an erect penis via SnapChat and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with her.
Court documents say that throughout their chats, Kilcoyne talked about performing sexually explicit acts on UC, referenced his position as an elementary school teacher in Bozeman, and acknowledged the difference in age between the two of them.
Kilcoyne allegedly traveled to Boston on Dec. 21 and discussed driving to Vermont for a sexual encounter with UC. According to the reporting detective in Bozeman, Kilcoyne did not travel to Vermont as he had planned.
The Bozeman Police detective requested that School Resource Officers at the school where Kilcoyne was employed detain him for questioning. He was taken to the Bozeman Public Safety Center on Wednesday where the detective read him his Miranda rights.
Kilcoyne reportedly declined to speak with the detective without an attorney present. The detective then arrested Kilcoyne on four counts of indecent exposure to a minor; she said in court documents more charges could be requested at a later date.
In court on Thursday, Kilcoyne’s bail was set at $200,000. He currently remains in custody.
On Thursday, Bozeman Public Schools Superintendent Casey Bertram confirmed in a press release that Kilcoyne was hired on October 5, 2022 as a Special Education and Crosswalk Paraprofessional at Whittier Elementary School. Bertram said Kilcoyne's fingerprint background check revealed no prior criminal records, and Kilcoyne has been placed on administrative leave without pay.
Bertram also said Bozeman Police confirmed Kilcoyne's case does not appear to involve any students of the school district. Bertram stated further:
"We understand that this employee, by nature of their employment as a special education paraprofessional in an elementary school, has had interaction with elementary aged youth in our community. If students, parents, or community members have any additional information to provide law enforcement, or have specific questions for law enforcement, they should contact Bozeman Police Department Detective Captain, Dana McNeil (406)582-2020."
