In November of 2025, Detective Bailey of the Wright County Sheriff's Office was assigned to a child [NAME REDACTED], hereinafter CSAM, case, referred from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, hereinafter BCA. The BCA received a tip from Snapchat regarding a video depicting CSAM sent through Snapchat on September 1, 2025. The Internet Protocol (IP) address of the Snapchat user was based in the City of Monticello, Wright County, Minnesota. The BCA identified the Snapchat user who uploaded the video as Michael Robert Traub [DOB REDACTED], hereinafter Defendant, who resided at an apartment in Monticello.
Investigation revealed that Defendant was the sole occupant of the apartment. Defendant's apartment was searched on December 9, 2025, pursuant to a search warrant. Defendant was present at the time of the search and admitted he previously used Snapchat. Defendant's iPhone 12 was located and searched pursuant to a search warrant. Defendant's iPhone contained videos of CSAM saved to the hidden folder that is installed in the phone and accessed via the native photos app. A user can hide photographs and videos on an iPhone 12 by selecting the photograph or video in the photos app, tapping the "three dots" icon, and choosing the "Hide" option.
This moves photographs or videos to a locked "Hidden" album in the Utilities section of the phone. A user's facial identification or pass code is required to access the Hidden album. The Hidden album on Defendant's phone contained numerous images and videos of CSAM, including the following: Count I F7AF: four second video of a female who appears to be three to four years of age having sex with an adult male. This video was identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, hereinafter NCMEC, as known CSAM. Count II 5EBA: fifteen second video of a female who appears under the age of one having her vagina fingered and licked by a female.
This video was saved to the hidden folder of the physical phone. Count III 3B55: 1:33 video of a female who appears to be ten to twelve years of age with no pants or underwear on, vagina exposed, giving oral sex to an adult male while a nude adult female helps. Count IV Thirty-eight second video of a female who appears to be twelve to fourteen years of age with arms bound behind her, eyes covered, and a ball gag in her mouth, engaged in sex with an adult male. Count V 1:03 video of two females who appear to be twelve to fourteen years of age who are topless, with one juvenile on top of the other while kissing and licking the breasts and body of the juvenile on the bottom.
Count VI 1:07 video of a female who appears to be twelve years of age removing her underwear and masturbating. Given the facts alleged in the Complaint, Defendant's arrest is necessary to prevent imminent harm to anyone. Therefore, the State respectfully requests a warrant issue for Defendant's arrest.
