Jamestown, ND, Man Sentenced to 12 1/2 Years for Possession and Distribution of Child Pornography

“We are fully committed to detecting, investigating, and aggressively prosecuting the reprehensible defendants who create, distribute, or possess child pornography.”

                                                                        --United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley

 Fargo – United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley announced that on November 15, 2019, Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, sentenced Brent Robert Braun, age 44, Jamestown, ND, to serve 12 ½ years in prison, followed by a 15 years of supervised release for the charges of Possession and Distribution of Materials Containing Child Pornography.  Braun was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $46,000 to the victims and $200 in special assessments to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

Between March 2018 and June 2018, Special Agents from the North Dakota Bureau of Investigation conducted an online investigation of peer-to-peer file sharing networks for individuals sharing child pornography, and discovered that hundreds of files containing known child pornography had been downloaded to Brent Braun’s internet IP address.  A search of Braun’s residence revealed several electronic media devices which contained more than 21,000 files of child pornography and more than 1.2 million files of child erotica. The child pornographic material depicted the graphic sexual abuse of children as young as two years of age. 

“Every one of these images is essentially a crime scene photo cataloguing the brutal sexualization and victimization of the children involved,” said United States Attorney Drew Wrigley, “as such, we are fully committed to detecting, investigating, and aggressively prosecuting the reprehensible defendants who create, distribute, or possess child pornography.  We must fight to protect children from these horrifying crimes.”

This case was investigated by the North Dakota Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud-Puhl prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the nation, Project Safe Childhood, in conjunction with Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the Internet, online communications systems, or computer technology to sexually exploit children. The ICAC Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces engaging in proactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions. Project Safe Childhood also helps to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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