Clarence Brown Jr. Gets 10 Years for Child Porn Relapse

Clarence Robert Brown Jr., 61, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is back behind bars—sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography, marking his second conviction in a sickening repeat of crimes against children.

Brown pleaded guilty on September 25, 2017, to possessing videos of child sexual abuse on his computer. This latest offense comes while he was still under federal supervision for a 2005 conviction on identical charges—possession and transportation of child pornography—for which he previously served five years in prison.

At the time of his arrest in 2016, Brown was barred from owning any internet-connected device under the strict terms of his supervised release. But on August 15, 2016, a routine check by a U.S. Probation officer turned up a computer and multiple thumb drives stashed in his home—a direct violation of court orders.

Brown admitted he bought the equipment knowing full well he wasn’t allowed internet access. Forensic examination confirmed the worst: his hard drive contained explicit videos depicting child sexual abuse. The digital trail was undeniable, sealing his fate.

U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. handed down the decade-long sentence and added 20 years of supervised release, a move prosecutors say is critical to public safety. “This is Brown’s second federal conviction for possessing sexually explicit material depicting minors,” said U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray. “The online exploitation of children is a serious crime, and the 10-year prison term imposed by the Court reflects that.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani Ford and investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Probation Office in the Western District of North Carolina. It was brought under Project Safe Childhood, the Justice Department’s nationwide push launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. The initiative combines federal, state, and local efforts to hunt down predators and rescue victims—exactly the kind of predator Brown has proven himself to be—twice.