Federal Jury Convicts Military Lawyer of Attempted Sexual Enticement and Exploitation of Minors

HONOLULU - United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that, after a five-day trial, Ross Andrew Brown, 44, of Kailua, was convicted by a federal jury on February 27, 2026 on two counts of attempted sexual enticement of a minor, two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, and two counts of attempted receipt of child pornography. Brown is a lawyer serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps and is stationed in Hawaii. Sentencing is set for June 23, 2026. Brown was remanded into custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for March 4, 2026.

At trial, the evidence showed that Brown communicated via social media platforms Whisper and Telegram with undercover law enforcement agents posing as a 14-year-old girl. During the communications, Brown attempted to persuade the fictitious girl to engage in sexual activity prohibited by Hawaii law, describing the acts in which they would engage and inquiring about the fictitious girl's sexual history. On April 17, 2023, Brown drove to Schofield Barracks to meet the fictitious girl and was arrested by federal law enforcement agents.

Evidence introduced at trial from Brown's phone demonstrated that Brown engaged in sexually explicit online communications with 38 people who represented themselves to be girls as young as 12 years old. In a February 2021 conversation with a person presenting as a 15-year-old girl, Brown requested that the person photograph herself and a third party engaging in sexual activity and send it to him. Brown received from that person, whom Brown thought to be a 15-year-old girl, images of female genitalia and of a male and a female engaged in sex - all of which the other person indicated depicted her. In a June 2021 conversation with a person presenting as a 17-year-old, Brown received an image of female genitalia that the other person represented to be hers. In August 2021, during a layover while traveling for work, Brown attempted to persuade a person presenting as a 15-year-old girl to meet for sex in an airport hotel. After the other person did not show up for the rendezvous, Brown continued contacting that person, informing her that he would be in her home state in October 2021.

"The jury's conviction of Brown sends a strong message that those who use social media and the internet to sexually exploit children will face swift justice in Hawaii. We remain committed to charging, trying, and convicting those who seek to victimize our keiki with their repulsive conduct," said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. "Hunting down and bringing to justice child predators like Brown remains one of our highest law enforcement priorities."

"It is a profound breach of trust to both our military community and the public we serve, when a senior military officer commits crimes that exploit the vulnerable," said Special Agent in Charge Ruben Santiago, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Pacific Field Office. "This investigation makes it clear that no rank, position, or title places anyone above the law and I am exceptionally proud of our Special Agents whose tireless, meticulous work led to this offender's conviction. Army CID remains unwavering in our commitment to protect our Soldiers, Families, and our communities; we will relentlessly pursue accountability, regardless of status or position."

"AFOSI Det. 601 was honored to lead this investigation working with partnered agencies across Oahu. AFOSI agents spanning several units relentlessly pursued the truth and led intricate investigative activities gleaning evidence that led to the offender's conviction," said Special Agent Eric Little, commander of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) Det. 601. "AFOSI Det. 601 remains vigilant and ready to proactively protect our Oahu community."

The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated the case with assistance from Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nolan prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, 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 Justice.gov/PSC.