US Airman on the run after alleged child sex abuse material possession and distribution

The US Air Force is urgently searching for a Florida-based airman accused of possessing and distributing disturbing child sexual abuse materials.

Airman First Class Branden Cecil Standifer, 27, was due in court on April 18 for a hearing related to the charges but failed to appear, prompting officials to believe he is evading prosecution, according to KTTC. Standifer is wanted for military desertion, as he is believed to have gone into hiding to avoid facing the charges.

According to a warning from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Standifer fled Hulburt Field in Florida and was last seen on surveillance footage at Bozeman Yellowstone Airport in Montana, just one day after disappearing. He was wearing sunglasses and carrying a hiking backpack.

Recent cellphone data places Standifer in the area of Grove Heights, Minnesota, though it’s uncertain if he is still there, according to Daily Mail. The AFOSI has also stated that Standifer has ties to Michigan and Ohio, expanding the search area. The Air Force has called on anyone with information to immediately contact 911.

In addition to the charges against him, Standifer left behind a journal that details plans to kill himself by jumping off a cliff, according to the Air Force’s wanted poster. 

Standifer is described as a white man, skx feet tall, with brown hair and blue eyes, weighing approximately 160 pounds. His social media profiles indicate that he is married and has a young daughter.

This search comes on the heels of a disturbing case involving a former US Army soldier, who was sentenced to over 24 years in prison for producing child sex abuse materials. Jason Charles Manuelito, 27, pled guilty to the offense on June 11, 2024, according to the US military release. He was sentenced to 24 years (292 months) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release for the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).