A Martin City mother looked the other way as a neighbor sexually abused one of the children under her care, prosecutors say.  

Brittney Jo Erie, 38, faces felony counts of accountability to sexual assault and criminal child endangerment in connection with the abuse of a young girl in 2024. She is expected to appear before Judge Danni Coffman in Flathead County District Court on Dec. 4 for her arraignment.  

Authorities interviewed Erie at her Martin City home as part of an investigation by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Northwest Montana Drug Task Force and Flathead County Sheriff's Office into her neighbor, 40-year-old Raymond Owen Bonner. Federal agents had caught Bonner posting images and videos of him sexually abusing a child online and tracked him back to his Northwest Montana home in September 2024, court documents said.  

In his accompanying chats, Bonner described the child as a neighbor and allegedly said the girl's mother knew about the abuse, but her father remained in the dark.  

During the conversation with investigators, Erie described the girl as her daughter, though the two are not related by blood. She said she left both the girl and her sibling under Bonner's care several times a week.  

Erie allegedly admitted that she had seen Bonner behave inappropriately around the girl. In one instance, she caught Bonner scrambling to zip up the child’s pajamas, according to court documents. When subsequently asked about sexual abuse, the girl confirmed Bonner touched her genitals, Erie allegedly told investigators.  

Erie said she had not yet told anyone about the abuse, court documents alleged. She recalled confronting Bonner about it and trying to use the information to get Bonner to tell her about her husband's infidelities, court documents said.  

During a Feb. 27 forensic interview, the girl described the abuse she suffered at Bonner's hands and told authorities she had alerted Erie to it. Erie had told her "... it was OK if he touched her privates," court documents said.  

Accountability to sexual assault is punishable by between four and 100 years in Montana State Prison and a fine of $50,000. Criminal child endangerment is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and a $50,000 fine.  

Erie remains in the Flathead County Detention Center with bail set at $200,000. 

BONNER EARNED a 40-year sentence in U.S. District Court in Missoula on Wednesday after pleading guilty to counts of production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography over the summer.  

Following his stint in federal prison, Bonner will spend the remainder of his life under supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.  

Bonner came to the attention of undercover agents using an online application known for trafficking child sexual abuse materials. In posts made to the app in June and July 2024, Bonner allegedly wrote about having access to a young girl and boasted about sexually abusing her.  

After uploading images and videos of the abuse to confirm his account, Bonner allegedly told other app users he was the girl's babysitter.  

Bonner fled as authorities moved in on his Martin City home on Sept. 5, 2024, according to court documents. A search of the home turned up a mobile phone containing the videos and images of the abuse Bonner uploaded to the app.  

Authorities caught and arrested Bonner on Sept. 19, 2024. 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].