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Date: 08-08-2020

Case Style:

United States of America v. Michael Brandstrom

Case Number: 1:19-cr-00054-RGE-HCA

Judge: Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger

Court: United States District Court for the

Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office

Defendant's Attorney:


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Description:





Council Bluff, IA - The United States of America charged Michael Brandstrom, age 29, with production and possession of child pornography.

The charges stem from an investigation initiated by local law enforcement after a mother reported her four-year-old child missing from their apartment in Council Bluffs on September 2, 2019. As Council Bluffs Police Officers searched the apartment complex, Brandstrom brought the missing child out to them. Brandstrom was nervous when questioned by the police, his story was not consistent as to why he did not contact police when he located the child, and the child’s shirt was inside out. Brandstrom had taken the child into his apartment without the consent of her mother and the child disclosed that Brandstrom took pictures of her in his bathroom.

A search warrant was executed on Brandstrom’s apartment and a laptop and two cellular phones were seized for forensic analysis. The analysis of the devices revealed a large number of child pornography images and videos, including those of the child he kidnapped. The analysis of the laptop computer also located communications Mr. Brandstrom had with children from another country where he attempted to sexually exploit them.

This investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department and United States Secret Service. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa and the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office.

SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN 18:2251(a), 2251(e) Production of Child Pornography
(1)

ACTIVITIES RE MATERIAL CONSTITUTING/CONTAINING CHILD PORNO 18:2252(a)(4)(B), 2252(b)(2) Possession of Child Pornography
(3)

Outcome: Defendant is sentenced to the custody of the BOP for a term of 360 months on Count 1 and 120 months on Count 3, to be served consecutively. Upon release, Defendant shall serve a supervised release term of 15 years on each of Counts 1 and 3, to be served concurrently. $10,500 in Restitution. $200 Special Assessment ($100 per count).

Plaintiff's Experts:

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