Charges: Ex- Bemidji school leader lured dozens of kids to send sexually explicit photos
Former Bemidji assistant school principal Brandon Bjerknes is facing multiple federal child porn charges for allegedly using social media to convince dozens of girls as young as age 12 to send him sexually explicit photos, according to newly released court documents.
Bjerknes, 34, is married and owns a home in Bemidji. But for the last few years, investigators say he posed as a 14-year-old boy on Facebook and Snapchat, according to court documents.
Bjerknes was first arrested three months ago, and charged with having sexually explicit conversations with minors online. Now he faces new federal charges.
Court documents say Bjerknes built an online profile under the name Brett Larson — reaching out to more than 50 minors over two years, including students at his own school.
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The documents focus on three of Bjerknes's many alleged victims. Starting in 2015, he connected with three girls between the ages of 12 and 13. Investigators say he enticed the girls to take and send sexually explicit photos by starting games of truth or dare.
Bjerknes then attempted to trade those photos to a 15-year-old boy for photos of other young girls, investigators say.
He's has been under investigation since late last year when a local parent caught his daughter sending explicit photos to a Facebook friend. The father then called the Beltrami County Sheriff's department, and deputies traced the account.
Bjerknes was re-arrested late last week and charged in federal court with coercion, production and distribution of child pornography. He was released Monday.
He is scheduled to appear in state district court July 10.