A Cumberland County man facing a 13-count indictment charging exploitation and solicitation involving teens pleaded guilty last week in Criminal Court to four counts with the two victims’ families accepting the resolution.
Nathan Charles Lee Brown, 34, was originally charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means (Class E felonies), three counts of solicitation of rape (Class C felonies), three counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation (Class B felonies), two counts of solicitation of aggravated sexual battery (Class C felonies) and a single count of sexual exploitation of a minor/more than 50 images (Class C felony).
Brown pleaded guilty April 1 to two counts of solicitation of aggravated sexual battery, especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor via electronic means and accepted the eight-year sentence to be served at 100%.
Brown is to register on the lifetime sexual offender registry.
All remaining charges were dropped.
Assistant District Attorney Randal Gilliam told McKenzie during the lengthy plea hearing that families of the victim were aware of the pending plea agreement and voiced no opposition. The resolution avoids the teens from having to testify in open court.
Defense attorney Assistant Public Defender Laura Dykes pointed out to the court that none of the charges involved physical violence to the victims and all crimes were carried out by electronic means.
The indictment and earlier hearing said the ongoing solicitation and exploitation through online contact between May-December 2023. The two teens were ages 14-16.
Fines and court costs were waived.