A 28-year-old man accused of abducting a 7-year-old girl from Sherburne County now faces multiple felony charges, including kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday.
Joseph Andrew Bragg, of International Falls, is charged with kidnapping to facilitate a felony and first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a victim under the age of 14.
The charges stem from the Jan. 21 disappearance of 7-year-old Brynlee Nelson, who was reported missing after failing to return home from her school bus stop in Zimmerman.
According to the criminal complaint, deputies were dispatched around 6:31 p.m. after family members realized Brynlee had not arrived home and could not be located by relatives who share custody. Surveillance footage later showed the child walking toward her home after getting off the bus, then turning back toward the bus stop and out of view.
Investigators said Brynlee’s mother told authorities she had an unusual online interaction in December with a man using the name “Joseph Bragg” on Facebook. The man allegedly asked questions about her children, expressed interest in working with kids, and referenced child care services. The mother later blocked him, according to the complaint.
Law enforcement identified the account as belonging to Bragg and developed him as a suspect. Authorities later determined he had access to a white Dodge Ram pickup and obtained cellphone location data showing the device traveling south toward Iowa.
An AMBER Alert was issued once investigators believed the suspect was mobile and out of the immediate area. Shortly after midnight, Albert Lea police located the vehicle near a truck stop close to the Iowa border and conducted a traffic stop.
Officers found Brynlee in the back seat of the vehicle, seated in a booster seat with an empty suitcase on top of her. Bragg was taken into custody without incident and declined to speak with investigators following his arrest.
Investigators say evidence revealed Bragg had used a rideshare service earlier that day to travel with the child from the Hamel/Corcoran area to a hotel in Plymouth.
Hotel records show the room was reserved for the period between Dec. 27, 2025, and Jan. 21, 2026. Surveillance footage showed Bragg entering the hotel with a “large red suitcase that appeared to be difficult for him to handle. After approximately thirty minutes, the defendant is seen leaving the hotel once again with the suitcase.”
A search of the room also uncovered unused diapers, according to the complaint. During a forensic interview, the child disclosed a sexual assault while alone with Bragg.
He is charged with kidnapping to facilitate a felony and first-degree criminal sexual conduct, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years in prison if convicted. A judge ordered him held in custody pending further proceedings.
Brynlee was transported to a hospital for evaluation and later reunited with her family. Officials credited coordination between multiple law enforcement agencies and rapid information sharing for the child’s safe recovery.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
