Arkansas Man Charged with Enticing a Minor in West Seneca
A 21-year-old Arkansas man has been arrested and charged with enticement of a minor following an investigation by federal and local authorities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
Brayden Storey, of West Fork, Arkansas, was taken into custody and faces a charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life if convicted.
According to the criminal complaint, the West Seneca Police Department received a report from a minor in June 2024 regarding online interactions with an individual. Investigators allege that Storey first contacted the minor on Instagram in September 2022, when she was 13 and he was 19. Communication reportedly continued through social media and text messages.
Authorities state that while the conversations initially included discussions about video games and anime, Storey later made sexual comments. Prosecutors allege that by October 2023, these messages had become more explicit, and that Storey sent a nude image of himself and requested explicit images from the minor. According to the complaint, explicit images were exchanged between October 2023 and March 2024.
The minor reportedly ended communication in March 2024 and blocked Storey on all social media accounts. Investigators allege that Storey then created a new Instagram account to reestablish contact. In April, he allegedly attempted to call the minor approximately 50 times in two days. The complaint further states that in May 2024, Storey sent a four-page letter to the minor’s home, referencing suicidal thoughts and expressing a desire for a relationship. The letter allegedly included a lock of his hair.
Authorities say a search of the minor’s phone led to the discovery of explicit images linked to Storey.
Storey was initially detained in the Western District of Arkansas and will be transferred to New York for further legal proceedings.
The investigation was conducted by the West Seneca Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from law enforcement agencies in Arkansas. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins in New York and Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still in Arkansas.
Charges are allegations, and Storey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.