Former Linn County Special Deputy Sheriff in Custody on Child Pornography Charges

A former Linn County Special Deputy Sheriff has been arrested and is now in custody on federal child pornography charges.

According to a press release sent to this station by the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the former Linn County Special Deputy Sheriff, Gordon Grabau, was taken into custody on June 30. He is being held in the Linn County Correctional Center.

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The 51-year-old was made aware on July 1, 2021, that he was being investigated when the FBI served a search warrant on his Marion residence. Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner placed Grabau on administrative leave. On July 17th, Grabau submitted a letter of resignation.

All of Grabau's department-issued equipment was collected from him when he was placed on leave, and he was prohibited from taking part in any law enforcement-related activities.

Grabau was a Special Deputy Sheriff. According to the Linn County website, a Special Deputy Sheriff is a reserve officer who volunteers their time to the Sheriff's Office. They are compensated $1 a year. By making the dollar, they are classified as employees for Worker's Compensation Insurance purposes.

According to the Linn County website, they are responsible for the Cedar River boat patrol that occurs annually during the summer from Memorial Day through Labor Day. They are also tasked with providing law enforcement protection at RAGBRAI and the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival.

According to the website, the Special Deputy program employs 31 reserve officers.