Husband, wife charged with sexual abuse

MAT-SU — Investigators digging into a computer seized during an investigation into allegations a Palmer man possessed child pornography also found enough evidence to also indict his wife.

Brandon Muston, 34, was arrested Jan. 21 after troopers received a tip from the Microsoft Corporation. A corporate spokesman at the time said that Microsoft compares e-mail photos against a database of known illegal file images from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

That initial arrest led to charges on four counts of possession of child pornography.

But troopers didn’t stop there. They kept digging into Muston’s computer and found enough to take his case to a grand jury in Palmer on Jan. 29. That jury added 17 more child pornography charges.

“The examinations also uncovered evidence that Brandon Muston and his wife, Tabatha Muston, age 34, had sexually abused a juvenile in 2013 and again in 2014.

From that, troopers charged Brandon Muston with second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and a charge of unlawful exploitation of a minor.

Tabatha Muston, meanwhile, was charged with one count each of possession of child pornography, unlawful exploitation of a minor and first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. That final charge is a more serious felony than the one her husband faces and carries a stiffer penalty.

“On Feb. 2, Tabatha Muston was located in Wasilla and arrested without incident; her bail is set at $50,000 plus court approved third party custodian,” the press release states.

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