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Marshalltown sex offender faces grooming charge

Brown

A Marshalltown man is facing a grooming charge.

Bryan Brown, 35, of Marshalltown, was arrested and charged on Monday by the Marshalltown Police Department. The charges stem from a December YouTube video on the JiDion Premium channel, a video which has gone viral with almost 2 million views.

MPD Lieutenant Sadie Weekley said that while Brown was not arrested on the night the video was made, he was brought in for further investigation into the allegations. He was released later that night.

“Balancing public safety and the integrity of an investigation is always difficult no matter what crime we are investigating,” she said. “For grooming specifically, we would normally work with the victim and their families to ensure safety.”

In the arrest report, it is stated Brown, from Nov. 15 to Dec. 10, communicated on Facebook Messenger with someone he believed was an 11-year-old girl, but was actually a JiDion Premium decoy. Brown engaged in communication such as sending and asking for nude photos and making plans to meet on Dec. 10 at his residence with the girl, her 12-year-old friend and 9-year-old sister for the purposes of sex.

Since Brown does not drive, arrangements were made on Thursday for Brown to be brought to the MPD by his mother to turn himself in. However, he did not arrive, and phone calls by the MPD were not being answered. An arrest warrant was issued, and Brown was located four days later.

He is being held in the Marshall County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

Weekley said Brown is on the sex offender registry for a January 2015 offense involving a boy younger than 13 years of age.

Grooming is a class D felony which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $10,245. It is relatively new, having only become law in the state of Iowa in July 2024.

“We have had one other arrest for that new crime since its inception,” she said.

The other arrest was of former MHS teacher Mark Zeka, 61, of Ames, in December.

“We would encourage people to contact local law enforcement if they come across something like this,” Weekley said. “Taking matters into their own hands could potentially jeopardize the reporting parties’ safety and the integrity of the investigation if not done properly.”

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.

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