COURT & DETAILS: Minnesota Child Kidnapping Case

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]An International Falls man has been federally indicted on charges stemming from the January kidnapping of a young child from Zimmerman. Prosecutor say the 40-year-old Joseph Bragg abducted the child after she got off the school bus and was stopped by police near Albert Lea hours later with the victim in his vehicle. Bragg also faces charges of producing and possessing child sexual abuse material involving a second minor.

[00:00:22]He's made his initial federal court appearance on Thursday and remains in custody.

[00:00:26]>> The horrible details now revealed.

[00:00:29]Charges filed against Joseph Andrew Bragg, address now listed as International Falls, Minnesota. He's the man charged with abducting a girl from Zimmerman on Wednesday. He's been charged with kidnapping to facilitate a felony or flight and a first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

[00:00:53]Uh reading part of the uh statement of probable cause with the names of witnesses and our officers omitted.

[00:01:01]On uh January 21st at 6:30 p.m., officers from the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a residence in Zimmerman upon a report of a missing juvenile female under the age of 10.

[00:01:14]Uh the information provided by family members is what the is that the victim had gone to school that day and was usually dropped off by bus at 3:40 p.m.

[00:01:23]but had not returned home. The mother learned the only two people who also have custody of the victim are the victim's father and grandmother who did not have the victim with them. No one else had permission to have the victim.

[00:01:36]Officers spoke with neighbors who reported that their child confirmed the victim had been dropped off by the bus.

[00:01:42]Officers were provided camera footage from a neighbor which depicted the victim walking toward her residence at 3:53 p.m. then turning and walking back toward her bus stop out of view. No other vehicle or persons were visible in the footage. a canvas of the neighborhood was conducted by officers, and the victim was not located. The mother informed law enforcement that she had an unusual online interaction in December involving an individual with a Facebook profile of Joseph Bragg. Uh the mother stated the individual added her on Facebook in early December. She initially added him back as she thought she recognized him as a relative of an associate. The mother determined after communication with the individual that they did not know each other, and the individual stated that they had just seen her profile and wanted to communicate with her. The individual asked the mother questions about herself and whether she had children. The individual indicated he wanted children of his own, uh was not discouraged to learn a woman all already had children, and indicated a desire to engage in activities with children.

[00:02:48]The individual explained he works in child care and asked the mother if she knew anyone in the Zimmerman Princeton area looking for services. The uh mother reported she ultimately blocked the individual.

[00:03:00]Both of the victim's parents told law enforcement they are not otherwise familiar with a Joseph Bragg. Additional inv- investigation identified Joseph Bragg as Joseph Andrew Bragg, the defendant. The defendant was developed as a suspect in the victim's disappearance. Through investigation and the use of technology, law enforcement believe the defendant had access to a rental vehicle, a white 2025 Dodge Ram bearing a Tennessee license plate. Law enforcement requested uh accident uh location data of the defendant's cell phone, which produced updates of the location of the defendant's cell device.

[00:03:36]Location information indicated the defendant was traveling south and moving toward Iowa. Law enforcement agents were provided the defendant's information, uh the victim's information, and possible suspect vehicle information. One agency notified of this information was Albert Lea Police Department. Albert Lea is located approximately 138 miles south of Zimmerman and 12 miles away from the Iowa border. Once information was shared with law enforcement agencies in the area where the defendant was to believe to be located, an Amber Alert was issued. At approximately 12:34 a.m. on January 22nd, a sergeant with the Albert Lea Police Department responded to the area of Trails Travel Center and Love's truck stop in Albert Lea and Freeborn County. Sergeant observed a white pickup truck at the pump matching the description of the suspect vehicle.

[00:04:27]Following the vehicle as it turned onto County Road 46, the sergeant confirmed the vehicle bore the license number of the suspect vehicle. He observed the vehicle's rear passenger tail light was not illuminating. The sergeant activated his emergency lights and conducted a stop of the vehicle. The driver was identified by a Minnesota driver's license as the defendant. The defendant stated the vehicle was a rental and he was on his way out of state. Law enforcement observed the interior of the vehicle was packed full of items making it difficult to view the passenger or back seat. Upon further observation, an officer was able to observe a juvenile female in the back seat of the vehicle with blonde hair consistent with the description of the victim.

[00:05:07]The defendant was asked if anyone else was in the vehicle and and he stated Nova. The juvenile female was removed and confirmed to be victim A.

[00:05:17]Uh and a suitcase which seemed empty based on its weight was located near the top of victim A and she had been seated in a child booster seat. The defendant was placed under arrest. The defendant declined to provide a statement to law enforcement. Additional information investigation revealed the defendant uh had used a Lyft service while with the victim to take them from a residence in the Hammel Cochrane area to a hotel in the city of Plymouth in Hennepin County.

[00:05:46]The Lyft driver reported driving the male and young female to the Ramada Inn.

[00:05:50]Hotel staff confirmed the defendant stayed in a room at the hotel. The room was reserved for the time period between December 27th and January 21st. Hotel surveillance footage shows the defendant entering the hotel alone but carrying a large red suitcase that appeared to be difficult for him to handle. After approximately 30 minutes, the defendant is seen leaving the hotel once again with the suitcase. A search warrant was executed for the executed for the hotel room and law enforcement located a number of items including unused diapers. Law enforcement also located a vehicle associated with the defendant at a residence in Hamel. A resident at that location reported the defendant requested permission to store his vehicle there as he would be traveling out of state. Location data also confirmed the rental vehicle used by the defendant was located in the area of victim A's residence on January 21st, the approximate time victim A would have gotten off the bus. The vehicle was also located in the same area in the same approximate time the previous day.

[00:06:57]Victim A was forensically interviewed and examined concerning the events of January 21st. She reported being in a room with the defendant with her clothes off and she was laying on the bed and the defendant was behind her. The victim stated the defendant put his personal spot on her bottom.

[00:07:20]And we'll stop there. That's from the statement of probable cause. Joseph Andrew Bragg now charged with kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct of a little girl from Zimmerman, Minnesota.

[00:07:35]Neil Carlson for i-news.tv.