A Peosta man is facing a slew of charges for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl. KGAN reports 19-year-old Brandon Florence, is facing 19 charges related to sexual contact with the girl over multiple months in Independence and Dubuque.
Below are the charges he is facing:
• Third-degree sexual abuse (16 counts. Class C felony punishable up to 10 years in prison)
• Sexual exploitation of a minor (Class B felony punishable of up to 25 years in prison)
• Dissemination of obscene materials (Aggravated misdemeanor punishable of up to two years in prison)
• Contributing to the delinquency of a minor (Simple misdemeanor punishable of up to 30 days in prison)
If convicted on all the charges, the total possible punishment adds up to 187 years in prison and having to register as a sex offender. Online court documents say the girl's mother first reported it to police in June but the two had originally met through Snapchat one or two years ago, first meeting in person this past January. The mother told police she first was okay with the relationship until she learned Florence had lied about his age.
A criminal complaint says while interviewing with police in early July, Florence admitted to having sex with the girl and said he found out about her true age in March of 2025. The court documents say there were multiple videos and photos of the two nude and that he sometimes provided her with marijuana. A preliminary court hearing is schedule for next week.
