Jury Convicts Panama City Beach Man Of Online Child Exploitation Offenses

January 25, 2018

Panama City, FL – After a one and a half day trial, Brandon Royce Phillips, 34, of Panama City Beach, was convicted Tuesday, January 23, 2018, in the U.S. District Court in Panama City of production, receipt, and possession of child pornography. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During November 2016, the grandmother of a 14-year-old boy advised the Clay County Sheriff’s Office that an unknown person had sent the boy sexually graphic videos during chats on Kik, a social media application. The investigation disclosed that Phillips, posing as a 17-year-old female named “Katie Davis,” had sent the boy pornographic videos of a female that Phillips claimed to be “Davis.” Phillips then convinced the boy to take sexually explicit videos of himself and send them to Phillips via Kik. Further investigation revealed videos of other children engaged in the same sexually explicit conduct.

Phillips faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for production of child pornography, a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for receipt, and a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment for possession. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 10, at 2:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Panama City.