United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the unsealing of a federal indictment charging BENJAMIN JOSEPH ROGGENBUCK, 38, with production, attempted production, distribution, and possession of child pornography. ROGGENBUCK made his initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota. ROGGENBUCK was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.
According to the allegations in the indictment, between at least Feb. 12, 2020, and Feb. 20, 2020, ROGGENBUCK used or attempted to use two prepubescent minor children to produce visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct. The indictment also alleges that ROGGENBUCK knowingly distributed pornography depicting a prepubescent minor child. The indictment further alleges that ROGGENBUCK knowingly possessed other pornography depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Thief River Falls Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chelsea A. Walcker and Miranda E. Dugi are prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
BENJAMIN JOSEPH ROGGENBUCK, 38
Thief River Falls, Minnesota
Charges:
* Production and attempted production of child pornography, 2 counts
* Distribution of child pornography, 1 count
* Possession of child pornography, 1 count
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
