Former Bemidji Assistant Principal Sexually Exploited Students: Guilty Plea

A former assistant principal of a Minnesota school admitted in court to felony sex crimes involving multiple students and several decoy social media accounts. Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced the guilty plea of Brandon Mark Bjerknes, 35, for coercion and enticement of a minor and production of child pornography. Bjerknes was charged and taken into custody on May 30, 2017.

“Brandon Bjerknes repeatedly victimized vulnerable young girls and boys, many of whom he personally knew because of his former role as Assistant Principal of Bemidji Middle School,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Munoz-Kaphing in a statement.

“Due to a vigilant parent who initially reported disturbing social media messages, and the dedicated efforts of the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Bjerknes’ predatory actions were stopped.”

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According to the guilty plea and documents filed in court, since 2006, Bjerknes was employed by the Bemidji Area Schools and, beginning in 2014, served as the Assistant Principal of Bemidji Middle School until his resignation in April 2017.

While holding the position of Assistant Principal, Bjerknes posed as a 13-15-year-old male named “Brett Larson,” and used various social media profiles on Facebook and Snapchat with “decoy photographs” to contact minor females and males in middle and high school.

Using the alias profiles, Bjerknes directed the minor victims to send him sexually explicit photographs. Bjerknes also used the alias profiles to engage in sexually explicit conversations with the minor victims. Some of the minor victims Bjerknes contacted on social media were students at Bemidji Middle School.

According to the guilty plea, on March 20, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bjerknes’ Bemidji residence. Officers seized a number of electronic devices including Bjerknes’ personal iPhone and work iPhone, multiple iPads, computers and external hard drives.

The social media accounts and the electronic devices contained multiple sexually explicit photos and videos of multiple known minor victims. Law enforcement identified evidence that Bjerknes used the alias social media accounts to contact more than 50 minor victims.

“This disturbing case is an example of why investigators must continue to identify and bring to justice those who would prey on children, and why parents must keep a watchful eye for predators lurking online,” said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt