HONOLULU – On November 30, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Ross Andrew Brown, 42, of Kailua, for attempted sexual enticement of a minor. Brown is a lawyer serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps and is stationed in Hawaii. Brown will be arraigned on the one-count Indictment on December 20, 2023.
Brown was originally charged by Criminal Complaint on April 17, 2023. The Complaint alleges that during April 12 to 16, 2023, Brown communicated via social media platforms Whisper and Telegram with an undercover law enforcement agent posing as a 14-year-old girl. During the communications, Brown allegedly discussed the sexual activity in which Brown and the fictious girl would engage. On April 17, Brown drove to Schofield Barracks allegedly to meet the fictitious girl and was arrested by federal law enforcement agents. After arrest, a United States Magistrate Judge denied the government’s motion to detain Brown pending trial and released him on conditions.
If convicted, Brown faces a term of imprisonment between ten years and life, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release for a term of up to life. The charge in the Indictment is merely an accusation, and Brown is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The charge is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan is handling the prosecution.