Former firefighter sought on child porn charges

PALMER — A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a former city firefighter after Alaska State Troopers allege he distributed child pornography.

Brendon Twitchell, 25, is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography and one of distribution of child pornography, according to documents filed in court Aug. 23.

A charge of distribution of child pornography in Alaska doesn’t necessarily require a person be caught sending the pornography to other people. In fact, a distribution charge can be levied just based on how much pornography a person has. More than a certain amount, and the law assumes the person was distributing it.

According to court documents filed in Palmer, Twitchell has not yet been arrested in the case. A warrant issued Aug. 23 commands any peace officer to bring Twitchell “before the nearest available judicial officer without unnecessary delay.”

Palmer Assistant District Attorney Trina Sears reached via email Sept. 10 declined to say anything about the case.

“The investigation is ongoing and the defendant has not been located or arraigned on the charges, so I cannot answer your questions about the facts of the case at this time,” she said.

Court records show that if he’s arrested, Twitchell will likely be held on $40,000 bail and have to find a third party to watch him before he could be released, pending trial.

According to his former employer, though, he might very well be out of state. Or so says Palmer Director of Emergency Jon Owen, who oversees the fire department.

“He hired on Jan. 22 of 2011, and his resignation was Aug. 28 of 2013,” Owen said of Twitchell’s career as a firefighter for the city. “He told the assistant chief that he had been taking training in Texas and he had been offered a job in EMS services in Texas.”

As a class B felony, the distributing child pornography charge that Twitchell faces carries a potential penalty of between one and three years for a first-time felon. Court records contain no mention of a previous felony conviction for Twitchell in the state of Alaska.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.