A former Storm Lake city employee has pled guilty to federal child pornography charges.
52-year-old Brian Oakleaf entered the plea Monday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City, admitting to two counts of possession of child pornography. Oakleaf previously served as Storm Lake’s finance manager and was also a former manager of King’s Pointe Resort.
Federal prosecutors say Oakleaf possessed more than 20,000 images and at least one video over 90 minutes long, depicting child sexual abuse material, including content involving toddlers and sadistic conduct. The material was found on two cell phones seized during a July 2024 search of Oakleaf’s Storm Lake home and office at Storm Lake City Hall.
Investigators with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation traced the material to Oakleaf through an online file-sharing program and an IP address linked to his devices. Evidence also showed he used the alias “Dan Dyle” to access and trade illegal content.
Oakleaf was taken into custody following the plea and will remain jailed pending sentencing. He faces up to 40 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and a minimum of five years supervised release.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative targeting child exploitation. Sentencing will be scheduled after a presentence report is completed.
