Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced a federal criminal complaint charging BRANDON MARK BJERKNES, 34, with production and distribution of child pornography and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. BJERKNES, who was taken into custody on May 30, 2017, made his initial appearance earlier today in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn.
According to the criminal complaint and documents filed in court, since 2006, BJERKNES was employed by the Bemidji Area Schools and, for the past three years, served as the Assistant Principal of Bemidji Middle School until his resignation in April 2017. While holding the position of Assistant Principal, BJERKNES posed as a 13-15-year-old male named “Brett Larson," and used various social media profiles on Facebook and Snapchat with “decoy photographs" to contact minor females and males in middle and high school. Using the alias profiles, BJERKNES directed the minor victims to send him sexually explicit photographs. BJERKNES also used the alias profiles to engage in sexually explicit conversations with the minor victims. Some of the minor victims BJERKNES contacted on social media were students at Bemidji Middle School.
According to the criminal complaint and documents filed in court, on March 20, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at BJERKNES’ Bemidji residence. Officers seized a number of electronic devices including BJERKNES’ personal iPhone and work iPhone, multiple iPads, computers and external hard drives. The social media accounts and the electronic devices contained multiple sexually explicit photos and videos of multiple known minor victims. The forensic review is ongoing. To date, law enforcement has identified evidence that BJERKNES used the alias social media accounts to contact more than 50 minor victims.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office.
Based on the evidence obtained in this case, authorities believe there may be additional victims of this alleged conduct. Anyone with information about this matter is encouraged to call the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office at 218-333-9111. Callers may remain anonymous.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Angela Munoz-Kaphing.
Defendant Information:
BRANDON MARK BJERKNES, 34
Bemidji, Minn.
Charges:
* Production of child pornography, 2 counts
* Distribution of child pornography, 1 count
* Attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, 1 count
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
