An Olivehurst man has been sentenced to six years in state prison on felony charges, including attempts to solicit nude photos from a child through social media, the Yuba County District Attorney's Office announced. The sentence was handed down this morning by Yuba County Judge Julia Scrogin to Christopher Ryan Brown for multiple offenses dating back to 2022 and 2023.
Following a no contest plea to a felony domestic violence charge in November 2022, Brown was initially placed in a residential drug rehab program pending sentencing. However, in a detail that became eerily close to a repeated pattern of avoidance, the program ousted Brown in March 2023, and subsequently, he evaded a court appearance. While on the run, his criminal activities extended to victimizing a child by soliciting sex and nude photos.
According to information shared by the Yuba County District Attorney's Office on Facebook, Brown's arrest occurred in August 2023 after Yuba County Sheriff's deputies targeted him for his online activities. In the trial that followed, a jury in October 2024 found Brown guilty of attempting to solicit child pornography, and the court found him guilty of failing to appear.
Especially chilling were the tactics employed by Brown which involved social media. The victim, referred to as "Jane" for her privacy, was a 10-year-old girl with an Instagram account that clearly indicated her age and was monitored by a parent. "I want every parent to understand how Brown used social media to try and solicit sex and nude photos from a child," District Attorney Clint Curry urged in the same Facebook post. The meticulous investigation by Yuba County Sheriff's Detective Tyler Johannes, Deputy Shaun Hammond, and Deputy Brady Beymer resulted in Brown's capture after a rather naked and dramatic chase through backyards, despite his attempting to evade capture by jumping out of a window when deputies arrived to arrest him.
The District Attorney's Office extended gratitude towards the Yuba County Sheriff's Department’s deputies for their work on the case and Senior Deputy District Attorney Brad Morrow's efforts in court.
