Former teacher pleads guilty to coercing minor into sex, child porn production
By Andy Tallman
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MISSOULA, Montana (Missoulian) — A Missoula man pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to one count of coercing or enticing a minor into sex and one count of child abuse material production.
Cody Davis, 42, appeared before Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula’s federal courthouse. He was charged in April with three counts of producing child sexual exploitation material, one count of possessing it and three counts of coercion and enticement, all felonies.
As part of a plea agreement, all but two of the charges were dropped.
Davis is a former Clinton teacher who previously taught at several school districts, in Helena, Cascade and Targe Range School outside of Missoula, the Office of Public Instruction told the Missoulian in January.
He resigned from teaching in 2024. The Board of Public Education voted unanimously in March to suspend his teaching license, and will decide after the criminal case is concluded whether to permanently revoke his license.
For the first charge, Davis pleaded guilty to attempting to use the internet to coerce or entice someone under 18 living in Missoula County into sex between July and December of 2025. This charge carries a possible penalty of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life of probation.
According to Office of Public Instruction lawyer Brenton Craggs, Davis was communicating via Signal with an undercover officer.
The second charge Davis admitted to was of child pornography production. Davis pleaded guilty to enticing a Montana minor to engage in sexually explicit behavior for the purpose of making child sexual exploitation material.
This charge carries a possible penalty of 15 to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life of probation.
Davis is being held in the Missoula County jail pending sentencing, which is set for Oct. 22.
Andy Tallman is the criminal justice reporter for the Missoulian.
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