A federal grand jury has indicted Brayden Storey, a 22-year-old resident of West Fork, Arkansas, on charges related to the production and attempted production of child pornography as well as the enticement of a minor. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo in Buffalo, New York.
Storey faces two counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. Each count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could result in up to 30 years if convicted. He is also charged with one count of enticement of a minor, which holds a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins stated that according to the indictment and an earlier complaint, the West Seneca Police Department received a report from a minor victim in June 2024. The report concerned an incident involving Storey, whom she met online in September 2022 when she was 13 and he was 19. They communicated through social media and text messages, with Storey making sexual comments that became more frequent over time. Between October 2023 and April 2024, Storey allegedly coerced the minor into sexually explicit conduct and created visual depictions of this conduct.
The investigation leading to the indictment involved multiple law enforcement agencies: “The indictment is the result of an investigation by the West Seneca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Cosgrove, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera. Additional assistance was provided by the Little Rock Office of the FBI, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Arkansas State Police, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas.”
Authorities emphasized that these are allegations at this stage: “The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.”
