Lt. Col. Ross Andrew Brown, a Kailua-based Air Force officer and attorney, told a federal jury Tuesday that he is a self-described "compulsive chatter" who sent thousands of online messages but insists he is not sexually attracted to young girls. Brown is on trial on one federal count accusing him of attempting to sexually entice a 14-year-old online persona, and federal agents arrested him at Schofield Barracks after he traveled there to meet what he believed was the girl.
Brown Tells Jurors His Messaging Was Compulsive, Not Predatory
On the stand, Brown acknowledged sending roughly 6,000 messages across social platforms, including Whispe,r and described an online profile that used the name "forever sun," listed his age as 30 to 35, and read "tired of HS drama." He testified he initially believed the person he was messaging, known in chats as "Izzy," was 18 to 20 before she later told him she was 14, and he denied being sexually attracted to young girls, according to Hawaii News Now.
Indictment and Arrest at Schofield Barracks
Federal prosecutors say Brown was indicted on Nov. 30, 2023, after a criminal complaint alleged that between April 12 and 16, 2023, he communicated via Whisper and Telegram with an undercover agent who posed as a 14-year-old, and that he drove to Schofield Barracks on April 17 to meet the fictitious minor. The U.S. Attorney's Office says the case resulted from a joint investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and that Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan is handling the prosecution, as outlined by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii.
Graphic Chats Read Aloud as Prosecutor Presses Brown
During cross-examination, Brown read explicit messages aloud in court, including a line about "teaching inexperienced girls" that he told jurors he meant to describe adult women. Court exhibits also show he messaged other purported minors, some as young as 12, and during a tense exchange, Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan asked, "You could have said 14 - I’m done," to which Brown replied, "Yes." Closing arguments were expected on Wednesday, according to Hawaii News Now.
JAG Role and Past Child-Sex Cases Fuel Public Scrutiny
Brown's role as a JAG officer and attorney for the 613th Air Operations Center has drawn scrutiny because the criminal complaint notes he previously prosecuted child-sex offenses, a detail that complicates local reaction to the allegations. That background and Brown's assignment were reported by Stars and Stripes.
Legal Stakes and What Jurors Will Weigh
If convicted of attempted sexual enticement of a minor, Brown faces a federal sentence of 10 years to life in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office has said. Model jury instructions in the Ninth Circuit make clear an attempt conviction can stand even when the supposed "minor" is an undercover officer, with the focus on the defendant's conduct and belief, a point prosecutors and defense attorneys will press as jurors weigh the evidence, according to the Ninth Circuit.
