On the evening of Tuesday, March 17, 2015, the U.S. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force (Texas) arrested Michael Bjornstad, 43 of Maricopa, AZ, on a warrant for child pornography.
On Wed., Jan. 7, 2015, the Arizona Crimes Against Children Task Force began an investigation into the online peer-to-peer file sharing of child sexual exploitation images out of Maricopa, AZ.
On Wed., March 11, 2015 a search warrant was executed by PCSO and the AZICAC Task Force on the residence and items of evidence were located in the home to indicate that the sole occupant, Michael Bjornstad, was responsible for downloading over 100 videos and images of child sexual exploitation, including videos and images depicting infants and toddlers.
Efforts were made to contact and locate Bjornstad, but he was unable to be located. An arrest warrant was obtained, charging him with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office contacted the US Marshal’s detail for assistance in further attempting to locate him.
Information was developed and used to pinpoint the probable location of Bjornstad in Granger, TX, which is approximately an hour northeast of Austin, TX.
At 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and USMS in Phoenix were advised that the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Texas took Bjornstad into custody without incident. He will be booked and extradited back to Pinal County.
“Fugitives are a continuous threat to the public as they attempt to avoid apprehension,” stated U.S. Marshal David Gonzales. “The arrest of Mr. Bjornstad, and others like him, who have a history of violence remain a priority to the Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners.”
Sheriff Babeu stated, “This individual was downloading and trading videos and images of toddlers and infants being sexually abused. The depraved behavior of individuals willing to engage in activities which encourage the sexual abuse of our youth to occur is equal to those abusing these children. While in Pinal County, we know he had access to two young children and we continue to investigate any potential abuse which might have occurred due to that access.”
Anyone who may have information concerning these crimes is encouraged to call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at (623) 466-1828 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish.