Source: Office of United States Attorneys
McALLEN, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been sentenced for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Brian Edward May, Rohnert Park, California, pleaded guilty Nov. 14, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered May to serve 136 months in federal prison. The court enhanced the sentence after determining May was a repeat and dangerous offender against minors. The court also heard that May continued to engage in predatory sexual conduct against children after he was released on bond from state custody. May will serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“In today’s online world, predators can gain near-instantaneous virtual access to children,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas office is working hand in glove with our federal and state law enforcement partners to identify and pursue these predators before they can victimize innocent children.”
“Children must be protected from sexual exploitation, and we remain committed to investigating the coercion and enticement of a minor,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “Today’s sentence means this defendant is no longer free to prey upon the most vulnerable among us. HSI will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who seek to victimize children.”
On April 19, 2023, May operated an online account under the name of “dirtyman” and contacted whom he believed to be a 14-year-old child. May made arrangements to meet the child to engage in illegal sexual activity at a park in McAllen.
He had been in McAllen working as a contractor at the time of the crime.
During a subsequent review of May’s electronic devices, authorities found numerous messages that indicated May had attempted to pay adults to access children to engage in illegal sexual activity. They also recovered files containing child sexual abuse material.
May will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and McAllen Police Department conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.