St. Paul Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Child Pornography

 United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of BRANDON JAMES JOTBLAD, 29, to 120 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. JOTBLAD pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday before Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“Downloading sexually explicit images or videos involving children is not victimless crime. These are real children who are re-victimized every time the images are downloaded and shared,” said United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald. “Individuals who chose to participate in this type of victimization will face significant prison time.”

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, on July 30, 2019, JOTBLAD knowingly possessed video files containing visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. During this time JOTBLAD was on probation for a prior Ramsey County felony conviction for possession of child pornography.

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 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 was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the St. Paul Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and the Anoka County Attorney’s Office.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander D. Chiquoine.

Defendant Information:

BRANDON JAMES JOTBLAD, 29

St. Paul, Minn.

Convicted:

• Possession of child pornography, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 120 months in prison
• 15 years of supervised release