The investigation began on March 2, when Mounds View police received a report of a missing 15-year-old boy. While attempting to locate the juvenile, family members examined the teen’s electronic devices.

The investigation began in September 2022 when federal authorities received a tip indicating that an individual using the Kik messaging application had uploaded multiple videos containing child sexual abuse material.

A former school district employee has now been federally charged with producing sexually exploitative images of children using artificial intelligence, as well as possession and receipt of child pornography.

The indictment, unsealed today in federal court, alleges that on Feb. 3, 2024, 35-year-old Justin Anthony Kudla, of Belle Plaine, used force to injure a man because of the victim's race.

Investigators also accuse Hunter Geidl of using minor victims to create sexually explicit videos between July 2022 and March 2024.

A Bemidji man was convicted by a federal jury of distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material through the dark web.

A Red Lake woman has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for felony child neglect following the death of a child under her care, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota.

Prosecutors say 34-year-old Desean James Solomon, also known as “Black,” 44-year-old Michael Allen Burrell, known as “Skitz,” and 26-year-old Leontawan Lentez Holt, known by aliases including “Leon” and “Shotta,” were convicted on all charges.