Corpus Christi Man Charged For Transferring Obscene Material to a Minor

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Brandon Guthrie, 32, of Corpus Christi, has been charged in a criminal complaint for transferring obscene material to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

According to the federal criminal complaint filed this afternoon, Guthrie met a 14-year-old female at a movie theater in Corpus Christi and allegedly began communicating with the minor via a messaging application. The minor’s parents discovered the communications and contacted the Corpus Christi Police Department. An undercover officer assumed control of the minor’s messaging account and continued to communicate with Guthrie. Guthrie allegedly sent the undercover officer several videos of himself engaging in sexual explicit conduct.

Guthrie is in custody and expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason Libby tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 fine.  

The charges are the result of the investigative efforts of the FBI and Corpus Christi Police Department—Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez, was brought as 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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.