A Chicago man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for soliciting a minor for commercial sex and providing false statements to the FBI regarding his social media activities that supported ISIS. Hardy Lee Browner, aged 37, admitted guilt in 2023 to charges of making materially false statements involving international terrorism and soliciting a minor.
U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood delivered the sentence on Wednesday, which includes an additional five years of court-supervised release following his imprisonment. According to the plea agreement, Browner used multiple accounts on the platform formerly known as Twitter to engage with individuals linked to ISIS, including a media branch of the group. His posts discussed topics such as jihad and martyrdom. When questioned by FBI agents about these activities, Browner denied using the accounts or communicating with specific users tied to ISIS.
The solicitation charge against Browner stemmed from his efforts to traffic a minor with whom he had a sexual relationship. Communication between Browner and the minor occurred through Instagram, text messages, and phone calls. He met with the minor several times and sometimes provided cash or other valuables in exchange for sex. Although steps were taken by Browner to traffic the minor for sex with others for money, law enforcement discovered his actions before any trafficking took place.
The announcement of Browner's sentencing was made by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, alongside Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Chicago Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Julia Schwartz emphasized in their sentencing memorandum that "the defendant disrespected law enforcement agents and sought to thwart the FBI’s mission in defending against terrorist organizations." They further highlighted that "traffickers operating today should receive the message that if you traffic children in the Chicagoland area, the sentence will be severe."
