SPOKANE, Wash.- Homeland Security investigators are looking for more victims after a Spokane man received a 20 year prison sentence for sexually exploiting a minor through social media.
Brian Powell, a man in his forties who impersonated a 27-year-old to obtain child sexual abuse material from a 12-year-old in a rural Alaskan village, pleaded guilty to coercion of a minor in 2023 and was sentenced on Feb. 16, 2024.
However, Homeland Security Special Agent Robert Hammer says that the investigation into Powell isn’t over.
“As you see, primarily from the charges, we were dealing with a victim from rural Alaska, so his reach could have been anywhere,” Hammer said.
Powell stressed that parents should be aware of their children’s internet usage, and that they should contact authorities if they believe that a young person was potentially interacting with a predator online.
“We always want to make sure that parents are able to come forward and provide tips if they feel that their child might have been victimized [or] extorted in any way…by Mr. Powell or any other predator,” Hammer said.
The special agent emphasized that while social media is one way in which predators attempt to exploit children online, gaming platforms and messaging platforms are also forums in which young people can be placed in potentially unsafe situations.
Tips regarding the investigation into Powell can be offered to Homeland Security at (866) 347-2423.
