(San Antonio, TX) - A Valparaiso man has been sentenced to federal prison for crimes against children.

 

43-year-old Gerald Brann was arrested in New Jersey in March of last year, and in November pled guilty to child exploitation.

 

Authorities say he was sharing sexually explicit photos and videos of a ten-year-old child on the internet. "The images depicted the minor in various stages of undress and were sexual in nature," read a statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Texas. "The images also depicted the child at various ages, beginning around the age of five or six."

 

Investigators also found similar materials on a computer at the Valparaiso home of Veronica Solis, 34. Since the two were living in San Antonio, Texas when the illegal material was produced, they were both charged in federal court there.

 

Brann received a 30-year prison sentence and must pay $100,000 in restitution along with $10,000 under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 for one count of sexual exploitation of children. Solis faces a similar sentence. She is scheduled for sentencing in July.

 

Indiana State Police and FBI agents conducted a month-long investigation centered at the couple's residence in the 500 block of Elm Street in Valparaiso. “This case is an excellent example of how the FBI works across field offices to bring predators to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank our colleagues at FBI Indianapolis and the Indiana State Police for helping to ensure that Gerald Brann is behind bars and unable to hurt another child.”