Federal jury convicts military lawyer based on O‘ahu for attempted sexual enticement, exploitation of minors

A lawyer serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps and stationed in Hawai‘i, was convicted by a federal jury in February 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.

During the five-day trial, the evidence showed that Ross Andrew Brown, 44, of Kailua, 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 Hawai‘i law, describing the acts in which they would engage and inquiring about the fictitious girl’s sexual history.

“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.”

Charges stem from an incident on April 17, 2023, when Brown drove to Schofield Barracks on O‘ahu to meet the fictitious girl and was arrested by federal law enforcement agents, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Hawai‘i.

Evidence introduced at trial from Brown’s phone showed that the 44-year-old 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.”

Sentencing is set for June 23, 2026. A motion to release Brown pending sentencing was denied during a bail hearing on Wednesday, where he was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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, visit Justice.gov/PSC.