Amber Alert: Man charged with kidnapping, sexual assault of 7-year-old

ZIMMERMAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - An International Falls man faces several charges after allegedly abducting a 7-year-old girl that led to an Amber Alert across Minnesota late Wednesday.

Zimmerman Amber Alert charges

What we know:

Joseph Andrew Bragg, 29, is charged with felony kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

According to the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, around 6:31 p.m. the department received a call regarding a missing 7-year-old girl who was abducted in the City of Zimmerman after she got off a school bus.

Deputies were informed she usually exited a school bus by 3:40 p.m., but miscommunication among family led to confusion about where she could have been after the bus stop.

After contacting 911, authorities issued an Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) notification that was sent out to Sherburne County for residents to aid in the investigation. 

During a continued search, authorities came to believe that the girl had been the victim of an abduction, and Bragg as a suspect came into focus.

According to charges, the mother informed law enforcement that she had an unusual online interaction in December involving an individual with a Facebook profile username of "Joseph Bragg." She told authorities that he had "added" her on Facebook in early December, and that she initially "added" him back when she thought she recognized him as a relative of an associate.

However, she later determined that the family did not know Bragg, and he allegedly stated that he had "just seen her profile and wanted to communicate."

Charges state that Bragg began to ask the mother about herself, whether she had children, and indicated a desire to engage in activities with children. At that point, he claimed to work in child care and asked the mother if she knew anyone in the area looking for help, before he was eventually blocked.

As authorities worked to determine where the victim was, they learned Bragg had access to a rental white Dodge Ram, and later gained access to location data on his cell phone that produced updates on his location – showing he was actively traveling south toward Iowa.

An Amber Alert was then issued once law enforcement was in a position to potentially apprehend him.

Around 12:34 a.m., the Albert Lea Police Department responded to the area of the Trails Travel Center and Love’s Truck Stop in Albert Lea after spotting the pickup truck.

A sergeant with the department then activated a stop on County Road 46, during which he observed the interior of the vehicle being "packed full of items, making it difficult to view the back seat."

The missing girl was then located by the sergeant, and Bragg was placed under arrest.

Dig deeper:

Additional investigation revealed that Bragg had used a Lyft service to take the victim from a residence in the Hamel/Corcoran area to a hotel in Plymouth, Minnesota.

The Lyft driver reported to authorities driving a Bragg and the victim to a Ramada Inn, where staff confirmed he had booked a room.

Hotel surveillance footage shows Bragg entering the hotel alone, but carrying a large red suitcase that appeared to be difficult for him to handle.

After approximately 30 minutes, he was then seen leaving the hotel, again carrying the same suitcase.

A search warrant was executed for the hotel room and law enforcement located a number of items, including unused diapers.

When interviewed by police, the victim reported being in the hotel room with her clothes off and being touched in her "personal spot," which she described as "feeling disgusting."

Big picture view:

The search was a coordinated effort between the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office, Elk River Police Department, FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). 

According to the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, roughly 200 personnel assisted, and more than 700 community members assisted in the investigation.