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Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Exploitation Charges in Florida

Michael Joseph Branham pleaded guilty to nine federal counts after secretly recording children with hidden cameras in a Florida condominium.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 15, 2026, 11:48 a.m. ET
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A federal judge accepted the guilty plea of Michael Joseph Branham, 38, of Katy, Texas, on nine federal charges related to child sexual abuse material, according to official court records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida released on Aug. 14, 2026. The case remains open pending sentencing. Branham guilty to seven counts of production of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of transportation of child pornography. According to official court documents, Branham installed concealed cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of his Okeechobee, Florida, condominium where he resided from approximately February 2023 through August 2025. Between June and December 2024, the hidden cameras secretly recorded two visiting minor children, aged 11 to 13, resulting in more than 30 videos depicting private activities. Federal investigators initiated the case on Jan. 10 after searching Branham's phone during a secondary inspection at Port Everglades when he arrived on a cruise ship from Turks and Caicos, discovering child sexual abuse material. U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said, "Michael Joseph Branham secretly placed cameras in a bathroom and bedroom to record children as young as 11 during their most private moments. This was the deliberate creation of child sexual abuse material through a calculated betrayal of children who trusted they were safe. His guilty plea is an important measure of accountability for these deeply disturbing crimes." Each production count carries a statutory maximum of up to 30 years in federal prison, while each possession and transportation count carries a maximum of up to 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence.

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  1. Version 115 Aug 2026, 15:52current

    First published.

  2. Version 115 Aug 2026, 15:48current

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  3. Version 115 Aug 2026, 15:58current

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