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Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses
justice.gov ^ | July 30, 2020 | U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Iowa

Posted on 07/30/2020 1:35:10 PM PDT by ransomnote

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger sentenced Michael Brandstrom, age 29, of Council Bluffs, to 480 months in prison. He was sentenced to 360 months imprisonment for Production of Child Pornography and 120 months to Possession of Child Pornography, to run consecutively. The federal sentence will be served concurrently with his prison sentence in Pottawattamie County State Court for Kidnapping in the Third Degree and Lascivious Acts with a Child. Brandstrom was ordered to serve fifteen years of supervised release to follow his prison term. He was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund and $10,500 in restitution to numerous victims.

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.

Topic(s): 
Project Safe Childhood
Component(s): 
Contact: 
Rachel J. Scherle 515-473-9300 USAIAS-PAO@usdoj.gov


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: qgotbusted

1 posted on 07/30/2020 1:35:10 PM PDT by ransomnote
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To: ransomnote

I don’t think they are bluffing this time.


2 posted on 07/30/2020 1:38:19 PM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: ransomnote

I wonder if there is a better way to get all this information to freepers. Like maybe we could put it all on one web page, where we could look at it, instead of in dozens of posts.

Since it is about the justice department, we could call it something with justice in it, like maybe “justice.gov”.

:-)


3 posted on 07/30/2020 1:40:44 PM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: ransomnote

When did this become the crime website?
They just interfere with real political threads


4 posted on 07/30/2020 1:48:04 PM PDT by dp0622 (Patriots: Better stand tall when they're calling you out. Don't bend, don't break, don't back down.)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

That would be great because it’s ridiculous to have these all over the place every day


5 posted on 07/30/2020 1:48:34 PM PDT by dp0622 (Patriots: Better stand tall when they're calling you out. Don't bend, don't break, don't back down.)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

This IS the best way. This is what this forum used to be about, not blog pimpage and vanities.


6 posted on 07/30/2020 1:49:39 PM PDT by bigbob (Trust Trump. Trust the Plan)
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To: dp0622

When did this become the crime website?
They just interfere with real political threads
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They interfere with endless MSM accounts of what the lawless are doing to the lawful. They also interfere with the MSM blackout on Trump administration actions which help the public.


7 posted on 07/30/2020 1:49:58 PM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
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To: ransomnote

“including those of the child he kidnapped”

Should be the death penalty.


8 posted on 07/30/2020 2:14:46 PM PDT by dynachrome (The panic will end, the tyranny will not)
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To: ransomnote

It’s good to see this happening more and more often.


9 posted on 07/30/2020 2:26:17 PM PDT by null and void (Quarantine the sick. Shield the vulnerable. Free everyone else!)
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To: ransomnote

But the progressives say defund the police and if someone sexually exploits children that is a lifestyle choice we are supposed to respect.


10 posted on 07/30/2020 2:47:07 PM PDT by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
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To: bigbob; ransomnote; bitt; little jeremiah; GOPJ
This IS the best way. This is what this forum used to be about, not blog pimpage and vanities.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I remember those days, bigbob

Personally, I'm glad to see all the impressive results coming out of the DOJ

You'll never see this reported on MSM nightly news.

Imo, these prosecutions & indictments make a huge political statement.

It makes the distinction between law & order or the anarchy & corruption that had been going on without control for decades

Big election coming up in a couple months.

Better information will result in better decision & results

11 posted on 07/30/2020 3:09:10 PM PDT by thinden
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To: dynachrome

His death penalty will likely occur in prison.


12 posted on 07/30/2020 5:16:23 PM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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