Kalamazoo-Area Man Pleads Guilty To Producing Child Pornography

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Brandon Jacob Cochran, 26, formerly from Portage, Michigan, pled guilty before the Hon. Ellen S. Carmody, U.S. Magistrate Judge, to producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today. Cochran faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years of imprisonment, and he will be required to serve a term of supervised release after his prison term has been completed. Cochran will also be required to register as a sexual offender. U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff will sentence Cochran on a date to be scheduled by the Court.

Cochran admitted at the plea hearing that he used his cellphone to create pornographic images of a three-year-old child at a home in Kalamazoo County. The conduct occurred in July 2015. Cochran admitted that he photographed himself sexually abusing the young child. Law enforcement later learned of the conduct and searched Cochran’s cellphone. Cochran was arrested in November 2017, and he has remained in custody since that time. He will remain in jail pending sentencing.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney's Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

The Detroit and Cleveland Divisions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Portage Police Department, and Michigan State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Lewis prosecuted the case.

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