The US Airforce is urgently searching for an escaped Florida-based airman who stands accused of child porn possession and distribution.
Airman First Class Branden Cecil Standifer, 27, is under investigation for crimes related to child sexual abuse materials and was due in court on April 18, but he did not attend the martial hearing.
He is believed to have gone on the run to avoid prosecution and is wanted for military desertion, according to a warning issued by the US Airforce Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI).
The fugitive fled Hulburt Field in Florida and was last seen on surveillance video roaming the Bozeman Yellowstone Airport in Montana, wearing sunglasses and a hiking backpack, the day after he went on the run.
His most recent location, according to a ping of his cellphone, was in the area of Minnesota’s Grove Heights.
It is unclear if he is still in Minnesota. In a social media post from Thursday, the AFOSI revealed he has ties in Michigan and Ohio.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the office for an update.
The aircraft maintainer detailed plans to kill himself by jumping off a cliff in a journal he left behind at his station, according to his wanted poster.
Airman First Class Branden Cecil Standifer (pictured), 27, is under investigation for crimes related to child sexual abuse materials and was due in court on April 18
Standifer (pictured) was last seen on security cameras traveling through the Bozeman Yellowstone Airport in Montana , wearing sunglasses and a hiking backpack
According to his social media accounts, Standifer has a wife and small daughter (pictured)
US Air Force officials are asking anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact 911 immediately.
Standifer is a white man with brown hair and blue eyes. He stands at six-feet-tall and weighs about 160 pounds.
According to his social media accounts, Standifer has a wife and small daughter.
Standifer’s sickening alleged crimes come as a former US Army solider was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing child sex abuse materials.
Jason Charles Manuelito, 27, pled guilty to the offense in 2024, but was finally sentenced on Wednesday, according to the US Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina.
He was investigated by the FBI and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) after investigators received an influx of tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The NCMEC raised the alarm that someone using an IP address from Manuelito’s military base was uploading child porn to Kik, Google and Dropbox.
The US Attorney’s Office did not specify where he was stationed or what his title was.
US Air Force officials are asking anyone with information about Standifer’s (pictured) whereabouts to contact 911 immediately
Standifer (pictured) is said to have ties in Ohio and Michigan, although his current location is unknown
Investigators seized the culprit’s devices and uncovered inappropriate discussions he was having with minors, during which he would ‘encourage the child to send specific images of their genitals and engaging in sexual acts.’
He also sent explicit images of himself to multiple child victims. Nine of them were identified and interviewed by investigators, while many others remained unidentified.
Some of the children were as young as 11 years old, according to the office’s statement.
Manuelito reportedly admitted to the disgraceful online relations he had with minors.
