A North Branch man, 30-year-old Jacob Aaron Besaw, has been charged with one count of distributing child sexually abusive material, one count of possession of such material, and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime.

Following an investigation by the Michigan State Police (MSP) Computer Crimes Unit, part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Besaw was arrested after authorities became aware of his activities online; digital evidence was subsequently seized from his residence, this component of the case initially emerged following the unit's discovery that Besaw shared and viewed child sexually abusive material on the internet, when that surfaced it prompted further examination of his digital footprint, as reported by ABC12.

The MSP Computer Crimes Unit, according to a post on their official page, has underscored the importance of parental engagement in the safety of children's internet use, providing numerous resources to help guide and educate on the matter, including materials from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the MSP ICAC Task Force themselves.

NORTH BRANCH, MICH. The Michigan State Police (MSP) Computer Crimes Unit, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is announcing the arrest of Jacob Aaron Besaw, 30 of North Branch, for possession and distribution of child sexually abusive material (CSAM) and using a… pic.twitter.com/HQ89VkX1rV

— MSP Third District (@mspbayregion) August 9, 2024

Besaw, now facing the legal repercussions of his online conduct, was arraigned in the 71-A District Court on August 2, while the MSP has been upfront about welcoming any information related to possible child sexual exploitation, they encourage reports to be made through the CyberTipLine to assist in their ongoing efforts to safeguard children against such heinous abuses.