Thief River Falls man indicted on child pornography charges

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn.–A Thief River Falls man made his first court appearance on Monday after being charged with production, distribution and possession of child pornography.

According to the indictment, between February 12, 2020 and February 20, 2020 38-year-old Benjamin Joseph Roggenbuck attempted to use two children to produce sexually explicit content. Roggenbuck also knowingly distributed child pornography and was in possession of other child pornography.

Roggenbuck’s case was brought before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright in U.S. District Court in St. Paul as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted the Thief River Falls Police Department in investigating the case.