Former Faith-Based Nonprofit Executive Director Sentenced to Probation for Child Porn Possession
A 67-year-old former executive director of a St. Paul-based faith-based nonprofit has been handed a lenient sentence after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. Drew Michael Brooks, who led the organization known as Faith Partners, will spend no more than five years on probation following his arrest in 2024.
During an investigation into child abuse material at Brooks' Roseville home, authorities uncovered 36 printed images and numerous digital files containing explicit content of minors. The non-profit's website described Brooks' role in providing training to individuals of faith to address addiction concerns. However, the stark contrast between Brooks' public persona and his secret life has raised questions about the organization's credibility.
Brooks had initially claimed not to be sexually attracted to children but instead attributed his behavior to a "attraction/repulsion dynamic" with novelty, according to police reports. The plea deal agreed upon by prosecutors allowed for a downward departure in sentencing, citing Brooks' cooperation and expressed remorse.
Judge Thomas Gilligan Jr. accepted the terms of the agreement, opting to grant Brooks a five-year probationary period while maintaining his freedom from jail time beyond what he had already served following his initial arrest. Brooks will undergo sex offender treatment as part of his sentence, which has raised concerns among some advocates for stricter accountability in such cases.
A 67-year-old former executive director of a St. Paul-based faith-based nonprofit has been handed a lenient sentence after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. Drew Michael Brooks, who led the organization known as Faith Partners, will spend no more than five years on probation following his arrest in 2024.
During an investigation into child abuse material at Brooks' Roseville home, authorities uncovered 36 printed images and numerous digital files containing explicit content of minors. The non-profit's website described Brooks' role in providing training to individuals of faith to address addiction concerns. However, the stark contrast between Brooks' public persona and his secret life has raised questions about the organization's credibility.
Brooks had initially claimed not to be sexually attracted to children but instead attributed his behavior to a "attraction/repulsion dynamic" with novelty, according to police reports. The plea deal agreed upon by prosecutors allowed for a downward departure in sentencing, citing Brooks' cooperation and expressed remorse.
Judge Thomas Gilligan Jr. accepted the terms of the agreement, opting to grant Brooks a five-year probationary period while maintaining his freedom from jail time beyond what he had already served following his initial arrest. Brooks will undergo sex offender treatment as part of his sentence, which has raised concerns among some advocates for stricter accountability in such cases.
a 67 year old dude who's supposed to be leading a faith-based org is literally making child porn and nobody knew? like how did he get away with it for so long?? the non-profit they were running was all about helping ppl with addiction but it turns out they were just covering up his sick habits. 
and now he gets to walk free after 5 years on probation? that's so messed up.
... i mean, i'm glad that Drew Brooks is getting the help he needs, but 5 years on probation might not feel like enough for some of the victims or their families... it's also got me wondering what was going thru his mind to think he could hide this from everyone, including the ppl he was supposed to be helping 
she's got a whole Instagram account dedicated to her pics and I'm so proud of her... anyway, back to this news, 5 years on probation seems kinda light for someone in his position, idk, maybe they just wanted to avoid further controversy? and what's with the 'attraction/repulsion dynamic' explanation? sounds like something out of a psychological thriller novel 
this is so messed up... I mean, who would have thought that someone in a position of trust like that could be into this kind of stuff? The fact that he was leading a faith-based nonprofit and pretending to be all about helping people with addiction issues while secretly collecting child porn... it's just disgusting 
. And the fact that he got off with only 5 years on probation is just not right 
. A 5-year probation period seems almost too lenient considering the severity of the crime he committed, but I guess you can't judge a book by its cover – or in this case, the organization's website that portrayed him as a trustworthy figure 
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it just feels like its not enough considering what he did 
hope he gets the help he needs tho and that his sentence brings some closure to the families involved 
On the other hand, I mean, come on, 36 printed images and numerous digital files containing explicit content of minors... what kind of person does that? It's like he's basically saying "oh, I'm a good guy, but I have this dark secret"... doesn't sit well with me 
. And let's not forget the fact that his non-profit was supposed to be about helping people with addiction concerns - how can we trust someone who's capable of this kind of thing? 
anyway i guess its good the sentence is only 5 yrs since idc if someone gets off scot free for possession idk how ppl can even look at those pics without losing it 
. It's a tough balance between compassion and justice, but I hope that this case serves as a wake-up call for us all to be more vigilant 
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the fact that his organization's website was promoting addiction concerns but not addressing this issue at all just raises more questions about accountability 
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This whole situation just makes me so disappointed. I feel like someone's ability to lead a faith-based organization was completely tainted by this personal scandal. It raises questions about how something like this could have happened under their radar and if they're doing enough to ensure it doesn't happen again. And now, because of their cooperation and remorse, Drew Brooks gets off with just 5 years on probation? That seems really lenient considering what he's faced with. 
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. anyhoo, glad the dude won't be rotting in jail for now, but 5 years on probation? that's still some serious repercussions 
, but behind the scenes is this guy who's been up to no good? It's just so... messed up 
. I mean, what else have they been hiding? 
. Maybe he was just lucky with the plea deal 
Anyway, I'm not really surprised that the sentence was lenient, tbh. It seems like there was some sort of deal made between the prosecution and the judge, and it doesn't sit right with me