A former leader of a St. Paul faith-based nonprofit avoided prison time Monday and instead was handed five years of supervised probation and a five-year stayed prison after admitting to possessing child sexual abuse material. Drew Michael Brooks, 67, will also serve five years of conditional release and was not ordered to spend any more time in jail beyond a single day he previously served in custody. The sentence follows a multiyear investigation that traced illegal material back to his Roseville home.
Brooks, who had been executive director of Faith Partners, an organization that worked with congregations on addiction-response training, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to three counts as part of a plea agreement. According to the Pioneer Press, the deal included a downward departure to probation, which the judge agreed to follow at sentencing. Court filings and reporting indicate the judge cited Brooks' participation in treatment and his expressions of remorse when deciding on the punishment.
Investigation And Evidence Found
Authorities say the investigation picked up steam after cybertips to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children pointed to online activity at Brooks' Roseville address in late 2022, according to KSTP. A search warrant carried out in October 2024 uncovered computers, flash drives, and an envelope holding 36 printed images of child sexual abuse, some involving victims believed to be as young as six months old, the Star Tribune reported.
Plea, Charges And Sentence
Prosecutors initially charged Brooks in May 2025 with 12 felony counts of possessing child sexual abuse material. He ultimately pleaded guilty to three counts in October 2025, CBS Minnesota reported. Under the plea agreement, the remaining counts were dismissed, and the court imposed five years of supervised probation, five years of conditional release, and a five-year stayed prison term. Judge Thomas Gilligan Jr. accepted the deal and, according to the Pioneer Press, said the outcome was meant to combine treatment with strict oversight.
Legal Context
Even though the plea spared Brooks additional prison time, the charges he faced were far from minor. Prosecutors noted that the original 12-count case carried a potential exposure of up to 120 years behind bars if he had been convicted on every count, KSTP reported. The final sentence includes conditions aimed at enforcing compliance and providing treatment throughout his probation and conditional-release periods.
Faith Partners And Community Note
Faith Partners once listed Brooks as its executive director, crediting him with leadership, administration and training to help congregations respond to addiction. The nonprofit's website and Brooks' biography page are no longer accessible, the Star Tribune reported. Requests for comment made through the group's listed phone number were not returned, according to reporting.
If you have information about possible exploitation, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. If a child is in immediate danger, contact local law enforcement or dial 911.
