A 24-year-old Kalispell man and former U.S. Air Force member who pleaded guilty in March to charges of sexual exploitation of a child and receipt of child pornography was sentenced to 15 years in prison with 10 years supervised release Friday.

The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls began an investigation into Raymond Larry Edward Kennedy in February 2017, which soon led to his discharge from the Air Force, according to a press release from the Department of Justice citing court documents.

The release states Malmstrom investigators worked in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations and the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to determine that Kennedy communicated online with six minor boys for approximately two years, beginning around July 2015.

In the release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said Kennedy “admitted using the internet to coerce minor boys into sending him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves,” using online communication platforms such as Snapchat. The boys are described as younger than 18. They lived in Bigfork, Kalispell and Great Falls.

Kennedy pleaded guilty to the charges March 14 in U.S. District Court.

Chief U.S. District Judge presided over the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynee Peterson lead the prosecution.