Local media outlets are reporting today that Adam Brigham, a former Palm Bay Boy Scout troop leader, was arrested on federal child pornography charges. If convicted, Mr. Brigham faces 120 years in prison.
Apparently, law enforcement attention became focused on Mr. Brigham late last year when a New Hampshire police officer posing as a 14-year old boy on the Internet received requests from Mr. Brigham on MySpace for sexually explicit photographs. Apparently, Mr. Brigham made several requests from different boys — all, in reality, police officers.
New Hampshire authorities eventually began working in cooperation with local Florida law enforcement. A search warrant was executed upon Mr. Brigham’s residence early this year, but the results of that search were not reported by local media. Apparently, the Brevard scouting organization cut ties with Mr. Brigham after the search warrant was executed. A Brevard County sheriff’s deputy involved in the investigation indicated that Mr. Brigham had a history of being involved in activities across Brevard County where teenagers would be involved like sporting events and road races.
I would be very, very surprised if Mr. Brigham’s activities with teens were limited to requesting photographs on the Internet. His profile — and especially his involvement in youth organizations and activities when he had no children of his own involved — is unfortunately consistent with almost every child sexual abuse case we’ve handled. Here is one example of a case we handled, and a child we were able to help get the counseling and follow-up care she needed after the abuse. I would estimate that interviews with the parents and children involved in Mr. Brigham’s scouting group would yield more incriminating information. It will be interesting to see how this case develops.
