Topline: Court records show the 7-year-old’s abduction followed prior online contact between the suspect and the child’s mother.
Published: January 25, 2026 8:56 am ET
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Joseph Andrew Bragg (via Sherbourne County Sheriff’s Office)
ZIMMERMAN, MN — A 28-year-old Minnesota man has been charged in connection with the abduction and sexual assault of a 7-year-old girl whose disappearance triggered a statewide Amber Alert.
Joseph Andrew Bragg of International Falls faces one count of kidnapping and one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a child in Sherburne County District Court, according to charging documents cited by MPR News.
The girl was reported missing Wednesday evening after she failed to return home from school. The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office was called to the family’s Zimmerman residence around 6:30 p.m. after the child did not arrive home on her school bus, which typically dropped her off around 3:40 p.m., according to a criminal complaint referenced by KSTP.
The girl’s mother contacted the child’s father and grandmother, both of whom confirmed they did not know where she was. Neighbors told investigators the girl had exited the bus as usual. Home surveillance footage later showed the child walking toward her house before turning around and heading back toward the bus stop, out of view of the camera, according to the complaint cited by MPR News and FOX 9. No other people or vehicles were visible in the footage, and a search of the neighborhood did not locate the girl.
As the search expanded, authorities issued an Amber Alert that was sent to phones across Minnesota, according to MPR News. The child was located early Thursday morning.
Investigators learned during the search that the girl’s mother had a prior online interaction with Bragg in December, according to court documents. The mother told investigators that Bragg added her on Facebook, and she initially accepted the request believing he was related to one of her acquaintances. She later realized she did not know him and that he had contacted her after viewing her profile, according to the complaint.
Court records state that Bragg asked the woman personal questions, including whether she had children. He told her he wanted children of his own, said he was not discouraged by women who already had children, and claimed he worked in child care. He also asked whether she knew anyone in the Zimmerman or Princeton area looking for child care services. The woman eventually blocked him, according to the complaint. The girl’s father told investigators he did not know Bragg.
Authorities later connected the Facebook profile to Joseph Andrew Bragg and learned he had access to a rental pickup truck, according to MPR News and FOX 9. Investigators began tracking Bragg’s cellphone, which showed him traveling south toward Iowa. Other law enforcement agencies were alerted.
Just after 12:30 a.m. Thursday, an Albert Lea police officer spotted a pickup truck matching the description at a truck stop and initiated a traffic stop for a broken taillight, according to the complaint. Bragg was identified as the driver, and the missing 7-year-old girl was found in the back seat of the vehicle.
Further investigation showed that the rental truck had been near the victim’s home in Zimmerman around the time she went missing Wednesday afternoon and had also been in the same area around the same time the previous day, according to court records cited by KSTP and MPR News.
Court documents also state that Bragg used a Lyft to take the girl to a hotel in Plymouth after the abduction. Surveillance footage showed him entering the hotel carrying a large red suitcase that appeared difficult to handle, then leaving about 30 minutes later with the suitcase, according to the complaint.
During a later interview with investigators, the child reported that Bragg sexually assaulted her, according to all three outlets. Bragg did not provide a statement to investigators and was scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday afternoon, according to MPR News and FOX 9.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Minnesota Man Charged With Kidnapping, Raping 7-Year-Old Girl
Court records show the 7-year-old’s abduction followed prior online contact between the suspect and the child’s mother.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 25, 2026 8:56 am ET
Joseph Andrew Bragg (via Sherbourne County Sheriff’s Office)
ZIMMERMAN, MN — A 28-year-old Minnesota man has been charged in connection with the abduction and sexual assault of a 7-year-old girl whose disappearance triggered a statewide Amber Alert.
Joseph Andrew Bragg of International Falls faces one count of kidnapping and one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a child in Sherburne County District Court, according to charging documents cited by MPR News.
The girl was reported missing Wednesday evening after she failed to return home from school. The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office was called to the family’s Zimmerman residence around 6:30 p.m. after the child did not arrive home on her school bus, which typically dropped her off around 3:40 p.m., according to a criminal complaint referenced by KSTP.
The girl’s mother contacted the child’s father and grandmother, both of whom confirmed they did not know where she was. Neighbors told investigators the girl had exited the bus as usual. Home surveillance footage later showed the child walking toward her house before turning around and heading back toward the bus stop, out of view of the camera, according to the complaint cited by MPR News and FOX 9. No other people or vehicles were visible in the footage, and a search of the neighborhood did not locate the girl.
As the search expanded, authorities issued an Amber Alert that was sent to phones across Minnesota, according to MPR News. The child was located early Thursday morning.
Investigators learned during the search that the girl’s mother had a prior online interaction with Bragg in December, according to court documents. The mother told investigators that Bragg added her on Facebook, and she initially accepted the request believing he was related to one of her acquaintances. She later realized she did not know him and that he had contacted her after viewing her profile, according to the complaint.
Court records state that Bragg asked the woman personal questions, including whether she had children. He told her he wanted children of his own, said he was not discouraged by women who already had children, and claimed he worked in child care. He also asked whether she knew anyone in the Zimmerman or Princeton area looking for child care services. The woman eventually blocked him, according to the complaint. The girl’s father told investigators he did not know Bragg.
Authorities later connected the Facebook profile to Joseph Andrew Bragg and learned he had access to a rental pickup truck, according to MPR News and FOX 9. Investigators began tracking Bragg’s cellphone, which showed him traveling south toward Iowa. Other law enforcement agencies were alerted.
Just after 12:30 a.m. Thursday, an Albert Lea police officer spotted a pickup truck matching the description at a truck stop and initiated a traffic stop for a broken taillight, according to the complaint. Bragg was identified as the driver, and the missing 7-year-old girl was found in the back seat of the vehicle.
Further investigation showed that the rental truck had been near the victim’s home in Zimmerman around the time she went missing Wednesday afternoon and had also been in the same area around the same time the previous day, according to court records cited by KSTP and MPR News.
Court documents also state that Bragg used a Lyft to take the girl to a hotel in Plymouth after the abduction. Surveillance footage showed him entering the hotel carrying a large red suitcase that appeared difficult to handle, then leaving about 30 minutes later with the suitcase, according to the complaint.
During a later interview with investigators, the child reported that Bragg sexually assaulted her, according to all three outlets. Bragg did not provide a statement to investigators and was scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday afternoon, according to MPR News and FOX 9.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Minnesota Man Charged With Kidnapping, Raping 7-Year-Old Girl
Court records show the 7-year-old’s abduction followed prior online contact between the suspect and the child’s mother.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 25, 2026 8:56 am ET
Joseph Andrew Bragg (via Sherbourne County Sheriff’s Office)
ZIMMERMAN, MN — A 28-year-old Minnesota man has been charged in connection with the abduction and sexual assault of a 7-year-old girl whose disappearance triggered a statewide Amber Alert.
Joseph Andrew Bragg of International Falls faces one count of kidnapping and one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a child in Sherburne County District Court, according to charging documents cited by MPR News.
The girl was reported missing Wednesday evening after she failed to return home from school. The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office was called to the family’s Zimmerman residence around 6:30 p.m. after the child did not arrive home on her school bus, which typically dropped her off around 3:40 p.m., according to a criminal complaint referenced by KSTP.
The girl’s mother contacted the child’s father and grandmother, both of whom confirmed they did not know where she was. Neighbors told investigators the girl had exited the bus as usual. Home surveillance footage later showed the child walking toward her house before turning around and heading back toward the bus stop, out of view of the camera, according to the complaint cited by MPR News and FOX 9. No other people or vehicles were visible in the footage, and a search of the neighborhood did not locate the girl.
As the search expanded, authorities issued an Amber Alert that was sent to phones across Minnesota, according to MPR News. The child was located early Thursday morning.
Investigators learned during the search that the girl’s mother had a prior online interaction with Bragg in December, according to court documents. The mother told investigators that Bragg added her on Facebook, and she initially accepted the request believing he was related to one of her acquaintances. She later realized she did not know him and that he had contacted her after viewing her profile, according to the complaint.
Court records state that Bragg asked the woman personal questions, including whether she had children. He told her he wanted children of his own, said he was not discouraged by women who already had children, and claimed he worked in child care. He also asked whether she knew anyone in the Zimmerman or Princeton area looking for child care services. The woman eventually blocked him, according to the complaint. The girl’s father told investigators he did not know Bragg.
Authorities later connected the Facebook profile to Joseph Andrew Bragg and learned he had access to a rental pickup truck, according to MPR News and FOX 9. Investigators began tracking Bragg’s cellphone, which showed him traveling south toward Iowa. Other law enforcement agencies were alerted.
Just after 12:30 a.m. Thursday, an Albert Lea police officer spotted a pickup truck matching the description at a truck stop and initiated a traffic stop for a broken taillight, according to the complaint. Bragg was identified as the driver, and the missing 7-year-old girl was found in the back seat of the vehicle.
Further investigation showed that the rental truck had been near the victim’s home in Zimmerman around the time she went missing Wednesday afternoon and had also been in the same area around the same time the previous day, according to court records cited by KSTP and MPR News.
Court documents also state that Bragg used a Lyft to take the girl to a hotel in Plymouth after the abduction. Surveillance footage showed him entering the hotel carrying a large red suitcase that appeared difficult to handle, then leaving about 30 minutes later with the suitcase, according to the complaint.
During a later interview with investigators, the child reported that Bragg sexually assaulted her, according to all three outlets. Bragg did not provide a statement to investigators and was scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday afternoon, according to MPR News and FOX 9.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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