AITKIN — A 36-year-old man formerly of Aitkin County is facing 13 felony counts of possessing and disseminating child pornography.
The Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office reported Patrick Jennings Brophy has been summoned to appear in Aitkin County District Court on the charges.
Brophy now lives in Greenville, South Carolina.
Local authorities began investigating Brophy in March 2022, after a special agent from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported a pornography upload from an IP address in rural Aitkin.
A total of 33 videos of minor females were uploaded via Kik Messenger and came to the attention of law enforcement through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Brophy was detained by the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office in April 2022, after which search warrants were executed on his devices and home.
His first appearance in the courtroom is scheduled for March 18.
-
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe staff also found starry stonewort in Six Mile Lake, near the city of Cass Lake. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe Bemidji Planning Board voted 6-1 to prohibit new developments of data centers greater than 10,000 square feet during its meeting Sept. 14, 2026. -
Plus: DNR cancels mineral lease for Twin Metals; and ICE's immigration crackdown last winter may have ripple effects for farm labor during harvest season. -
Contributed/Twin Metals Minnesota via MinnPostThe action comes weeks after executive action by Gov. Tim Walz halted the mining company's efforts to establish a copper-nickel mine in the Rainy River Headwaters Watershed. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe Bureau of Indian Affairs announced it was assuming operations of family and children services in Red Lake following a raid on Sept. 10, 2026. -
Contributed/Adobe Stock via Minnesota News ConnectionAn estimated 15,000–20,000 seasonal agricultural workers arrive for work in Minnesota during the peak harvesting season, according to the National institutes of Health. -
Contributed/MedicAlert UK via Unsplash.comThe standard began Sept. 10, 2026, following approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Aug. 11. -
Scott Rodgerson/UnsplashOfficials found a male dead in the yard of a residence in Pike Bay Township on Sept. 13, 2026. The Cass County Sheriff's Office, Leech Lake Tribal Police and other agencies are investigating. -
Plus: Industry-specific minimum wage goes into effect for Minnesota nursing home workers; lawmakers hear continuity of care concerns amid fraud battles.
-
Contributed/Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesThe organization aims to help Minnesota forests regenerate after fire and disease and protect them in the future.
