Randolph County Man Charged with Transportation and Possession of Child Pornography and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor

A federal grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois has returned a three-count indictment charging Brandon W. Junge, 33, of Baldwin, Illinois, with transportation of child pornography, possession of prepubescent child pornography and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. According to the indictment, on April 17, 2018, Junge knowingly transported child pornography in interstate commerce and knowingly possessed child pornography depicting prepubescent children. Junge is further accused of sending a close-up picture of a nude penis to a person he believed to be a 14 year old girl.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The arraignment for Junge will be held on April 17, 2019, at the federal courthouse in East Saint Louis, Illinois. Junge is currently in Missouri state custody on related charges.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Scott.