Defendant Brandon Kern of Bayport, 29, has been arraigned on an indictment charging him with five counts of sexual exploitation of minors and possession of child pornography. The defendant made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Lee Dunst in Central Islip where he was ordered detained.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the arrest and charges.
“Posing as a teen on Snapchat, the defendant allegedly contacted at least six girls, some as young as twelve years old, and coerced them into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos, and when these girls attempted to block further contact with him, he threatened to expose and humiliate them to family and friends,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Minors should be free to use their phones without fear of victimization. Our Office will work tirelessly with our federal and local partners to find those who lurk in the shadows of cyberspace and prey on our children.”
Mr. Peace praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the North Olmstead, Ohio Police Department. Mr. Peace also expressed his thanks to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
“Kern thought he could use technology to outsmart and abuse young girls. His alleged crimes were horrific and the FBI’s Long Island Child Exploitation Task Force used every tool available to track him down and arrest him putting a stop to his heinous behavior. There could be more victims and the FBI wants parents or victims to contact law enforcement if they think anyone may have had contact with Kern,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
As set forth in court filings, between December 2020 and October 2021, the defendant exploited numerous victims by forcing them to send him sexually explicit photographs and videos. Thus far, law enforcement has been able to identify six young girls. The defendant was caught when he traveled from Long Island to Ohio to have sex with one victim and threatened her when she got scared and refused to meet him. He was arrested leaving a hotel room with condoms, rope and lubricant. Subsequent searches of his social media accounts revealed contact with numerous other minor victims.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Alessi is in charge of the prosecution.
The FBI has identified several Snapchat accounts through which the defendant communicated with potential victims. If parents believe their children have communicated with any of the below, they should contact the FBI by at tips.fbi.gov or 212-384-1000.
Snapchat Accounts:
- bsublime10
- bsublime11
- bsublime12
- bsublime20
- bsublime28
- bsublime31
- bsublime33
- punkygreen472
