Brentwood man indicted on child pornography, firearms charges

OAKLAND — A Brentwood man was indicted Friday on charges of possessing child pornography and an unregistered short-barreled rifle, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Michael Patterson was arrested after an undercover operation by the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to the government’s detention memorandum. In a May 2023 operation, Patterson allegedly engaged in an online conversation with an officer posing as a 13-year-old girl, and made plans to meet and engage in sexual conduct.

Officers arrested him when he reached the agreed-upon location, and later allegedly found a loaded .38-caliber revolver next to the phone he used to communicate with the undercover officer.

Law enforcement officers allegedly found over 600 videos and 1,200 individual images depicting child sexual abuse on various electronic devices that belonged to him, in addition to dozens of firearms, firearm components, boxes of ammunition and firearm manufacturing machines and components, including a computerized gun milling machine. Three of the firearms were unregistered short-barreled rifles and one was an unregistered fully automatic machine gun, the detention memorandum alleges.

Patterson was detained Thursday pending trial, and is set to appear before U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. in Oakland on June 26. If convicted on the child pornography charge he will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison with potential restitution, and 10 years in jail with a $10,000 fine if convicted on the possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle charge.