editor.countynews@ecm-inc.com
Until Barry Scott Ostrander, 44, reports to the correctional facility in Butner, N.C., he will return to the half-way house he had been staying at for the past six to seven months.
Ostrander on Feb. 23 plead guilty to federal charges that he knowingly and intentionally possessed approximately 1,000 electronic images and at least 12 digital video files of minors engaging in explicit sexual conduct.
Also before Judge Rosenbaum, Ostrander admitted to installing a hidden camera in the bathroom of his Braham residence and taping four minor girls as they dressed and showered.
Further details revealed he had videotaped two other girls, fully dressed yet unaware of Ostrander’s actions, at the Braham school where he was employed.
None of the images at Ostrander’s home figured in the pornographic image charges but rather were charged out in Isanti County as felony interference with the privacy of a minor.
The Isanti County charges, which also included possession of pornographic works, were dismissed in December 2006 following Ostrander’s indictment Dec. 5 by a federal grand jury.
In dismissing the Isanti County charges, County Attorney Jeff Edblad previously explained that under the state guidelines, any sentence locally would result in a probationary disposition because Ostrander had no prior record.
Dismissal of the Isanti County charges, the county attorney noted back in February, would ensure that a conviction on the more serious charges in U.S. District Court wouldn’t be jeopardized and, as a result, would lead to significant prison time for the former teacher.
Ostrander was arrested Dec. 6 on the federal charges.
His legal problems began in July 2006 when a 12-year-old Braham girl and her mother went to the Braham Police Department to report an incident at the Ostrander residence the night before involving discovery of a video camera concealed in a bouquet of flowers in the bathroom.
That complaint set off an investigation by both the Braham Police Department and Isanti County Sheriff’s Office. Before the investigation was over, a significant amount of explicit photos and videotapes involving young teen and pre-teen females, some having sex with adult males, were discovered on the hard drive of Ostrander’s computer and on a CD-ROM.
Based on that information, Ostrander was dismissed from his teaching job in Braham Dist. 314 July 31, 2006.
Supervised release, restitution
In addition to prison time, Ostrander was ordered 10 years of supervised release with specific restrictions.
Under those conditions, in part, he will be required to register as a sex offender; not possess or use any electronic devices including the Internet without written permission from a probation officer; not be in contact with his victims or juveniles under the age of 18; cooperate with random searches of his home, office and/or work place; and not teach minor students.
Restitution to the victims’ families has yet to be figured as the court intends to discover the number of hours and dollars spent on therapy from the families involved.
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