Barnes County man faces child sex abuse material charges

Barnes County, N.D. (trfnews.i234.me) — A Barnes County man faces new federal charges.

He previously pleaded guilty in a related state case, records show.

A federal grand jury indicted Mitchell Joseph Kohler on six counts.

The counts include receipt of child sexual abuse material and transportation.

The indictment also lists four counts of possession of CSAM.

The indictment was filed Dec. 11 and unsealed Dec. 16, records show.

What federal prosecutors allege

The indictment alleges Kohler used the internet to receive and transport CSAM.

Prosecutors allege the conduct continued until April 2025.

Federal charges are allegations and must be proven in court.

State case and sentencing date

Kohler pleaded guilty to five state counts in October.

Those counts involved possession of prohibited material, records say.

He is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 26.

How the investigation started

Court documents say the case began after a report tied to an Apple account.

The report followed suspected CSAM found on the account in March 2024.

Investigators later sought search warrants, according to court filings.

A search in April 2025 led to the seizure of electronic devices.

Investigators reported finding hundreds of CSAM files on those devices.

AI allegation

Court documents describe alleged use of artificial intelligence tools.

They say Kohler admitted to using AI to create illegal images of minors.

Investigators say he used photos found on Instagram to generate the material.

TRF News is not naming any alleged victims.

Possible penalties and forfeiture

Federal penalties depend on the charge and the facts of the case.

Justice Department guidance says receipt offenses can carry 5 to 20 years.

The indictment includes a forfeiture notice for several devices.

That list includes two iPhones, a hard drive, and a MacBook, records say.

Where to follow the case

The U.S. District Court for North Dakota posts court information online.

That site is at ndd.uscourts.gov.

Federal law on these offenses is published in 18 U.S.C. § 2252A.

The statute is available at law.cornell.edu.

A Justice Department overview of federal penalties is posted at justice.gov.

Reporting and resources

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children runs CyberTipline.

The public and providers can report at report.cybertip.org.

If a child may be in danger, call 911.

I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.

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