Starbuck man arrested on charges of disseminating child pornography

Susan Lunneborg, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·1 min read

Aug. 5—GLENWOOD — A 47-year-old Starbuck man was arraigned Friday in Pope County District Court on five felony charges of dissemination of child pornography, according to the Pope County Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office reported that officers took Stephan Talmedge Gadbaw Jr., 47, of Starbuck, into custody July 28 on the charges after investigating a tip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children.

The center reported an individual had uploaded and shared a total of 42 pornographic images and videos of children. The investigation determined that the individual responsible for uploading the images lived in the city of Starbuck.

According to the criminal complaint, a deputy reviewed nine videos that were uploaded. The videos were described as showing infant, toddler and prepubescent children being raped or molested.

According to court records, bail for Gadbaw was set at $50,000 with no conditions or $2,000 with conditions that include having no contact with persons under age 18 and not possessing any pornographic or sexually explicit material. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 9.

Sheriff Tim Riley stated in announcing the arrest that the office takes all tips of individuals wishing to exploit youth seriously and encourages anyone with information to report it to local law enforcement.

The Pope County Sheriff's Office was assisted in the investigation by the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Starbuck Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the West Central Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force.