STORM LAKE, IA (Northwestiowanow) — A former City of Storm Lake employee will serve time in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

In U.S. District Court, 52-year-old Brian Oakleaf plead guilty in September to two counts of possession of child pornography. Investigators say that between March 2022 and July 2024, Oakleaf received, distributed, and possessed child sexual abuse material on two cell phones.

Authorities launched the investigation after tracing an IP address linked to an online file-sharing program to Oakleaf. A subsequent search of his home and office at Storm Lake City Hall uncovered more than 20,000 images and a 90-minute video involving child sexual abuse, including depictions of toddlers and other sadistic acts. Oakleaf admitted to using the alias “Dan Dyle” to trade the material.

Oakleaf was sentenced to seven years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $54,000 in restitution and $1,200 in fines.

He remains in U.S. Marshal custody pending transfer to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child exploitation.