Kailua Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison Following Jury Conviction for Attempting to Entice Minors and Receive Child Pornography

News Release from U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, Tuesday, September 1, 2026

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Ross Andrew Brown, 45, of Kailua, was sentenced on August 19, 2026, by Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi to 240 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for attempting to sexually entice and exploit minors, and for attempting to receive child pornography.  Brown was also required to pay over $115,000 in fines and assessments.  Brown was previously convicted by a federal jury in February 2026.

Evidence at trial showed that Brown repeatedly engaged in sexualized online communications with individuals who identified themselves as being between 14 and 17 years old.  Despite knowing their stated ages, Brown continued the conversations, escalated them into sexual discussions, and arranged meetings to attempt to engage in unlawful sexual activity.  When Brown arrived at one such agreed-upon meeting location, federal agents arrested him as part of a sting operation.

At sentencing, additional evidence showed that Brown also engaged in similar communications with several other purported minors over a period of approximately two years.  Investigators recovered conversations in which Brown attempted to initiate sexual activity, requested images of individuals he believed to be minors, and directed explicit, sexual behavior.

Brown is a lawyer serving as Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps stationed in Hawaii.  The court determined that Brown’s conduct was aggravated by his legal training, including a Juris Doctor degree and a Master of Laws degree, as well as his professional experience prosecuting similar child-sex offenses.  Brown’s background gave him a heightened understanding of the criminal nature of his actions and the harm caused by offenses involving the sexual exploitation of minors.  The District Judge further determined that Brown provided false testimony at trial and did not accept responsibility.  When imposing the sentence, District Judge Kobayashi agreed with the government that Brown exhibited a pattern of predatory behavior targeting some of the most vulnerable persons in our community.

The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated the case with assistance from Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nolan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Slack prosecuted the case.