Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A former employee of the City of Storm Lake, Iowa, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography. Brian Oakleaf, 52, admitted his guilt on September 9, 2025.
According to evidence presented during plea and sentencing hearings, Oakleaf received, distributed, and possessed child pornography between March 1, 2022, and July 29, 2024. The material included images involving prepubescent minors on two separate cell phones. Law enforcement began investigating after discovering an IP address sharing child sexual abuse material through an online filesharing program. Their investigation led them to Oakleaf.
On July 29, 2024, investigators executed searches at Oakleaf’s residence and his office at Storm Lake City Hall. Officers seized multiple electronic devices that were later found to contain child sexual abuse material. Analysis revealed that Oakleaf used the targeted filesharing program and searched for known terms associated with child exploitation. He also used the alias Dan Dyle while viewing and trading such materials.
As part of his plea agreement, Oakleaf admitted to possessing a video over 90 minutes long and more than 20,000 images depicting child sexual abuse on his phones. The content included depictions of toddlers as well as acts involving bondage and sadistic or masochistic conduct.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood—an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation nationwide by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. Additional information about this initiative is available at www.usdoj.gov/pscLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. Internet safety education resources can be found at www.usdoj.gov/pscLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link., under “resources.”
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand presided over sentencing proceedings. Oakleaf received an 84-month prison term followed by five years of supervised release; he must pay $54,000 in restitution as well as $1,200 in fines and assessments. Federal law does not permit parole for this conviction. Oakleaf remains in custody awaiting transfer to a federal facility.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation into this case while Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit handled prosecution.
