Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — A Thief River Falls man is charged in Pennington County District Court.
The charge follows a report tied to a Snapchat account.
Bryton Shawn Charles, 32, is charged with a felony count.
It alleges possession of pornographic work involving minors under age 14.
The case remains open.
The charge is an allegation.
How the case started
Court records say police received an Internet Crimes Against Children CyberTip on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
Snapchat reported that apparent child sexual abuse material was detected on an account, the complaint says.
The tip said three files were uploaded.
Investigators traced the internet address linked to the uploads, the complaint says.
They obtained subscriber records through a subpoena.
Those records linked the address to an account tied to Charles, the complaint says.
Investigators also linked the address to a home tied to him.
The complaint does not name any child victims.
Authorities say the files showed sexual exploitation of children.
Search warrant and devices seized
On Wednesday, Dec. 10, an investigator sent preservation requests and subpoenas to Google LLC, the complaint says.
The request sought data tied to email accounts linked to the Snapchat username.
Investigators also reviewed account recovery information, the complaint says.
On Friday, Dec. 12, authorities executed a search warrant at Charles’ residence.
They seized electronic devices for review, the complaint says.
The seized items included iPhones, USB drives, an Apple Watch, and a Nintendo Switch.
What Charles told investigators
Charles told investigators he once used a Snapchat account tied to the username, the complaint says.
He said he later lost access to that account.
He said an email claimed the account was hacked.
He also said the account violated Snapchat rules, the complaint says.
Charles denied uploading the files, according to the complaint.
He said the content “gave him the creeps,” the complaint states.
He said he had seen similar content while scrolling on Reddit.
He said he reported it.
The complaint says Charles later stated he had the files on a phone.
He said he tried to send them to another device.
He said he wanted to show them to law enforcement.
The complaint says he understood the material should not be kept.
Anyone charged is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Resources
- NCMEC CyberTipline
- ICAC Task Force program overview
- Minnesota Statute 617.247
- Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO)
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.