A Chicago man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for soliciting a minor for commercial sex and making false statements to the FBI about pro-ISIS social media activities. Hardy Lee Browner, aged 37, pleaded guilty in 2023 to charges involving international terrorism and soliciting a minor.
The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood, who also ordered Browner to undergo five years of court-supervised release following his prison term.
Browner admitted in his plea agreement that he used multiple accounts on the platform formerly known as Twitter to engage with individuals linked to ISIS, including its media arm. He also made public posts discussing jihad, martyrdom, and support for ISIS. When questioned by FBI agents about these activities, Browner falsely denied using the accounts or communicating with certain users associated with ISIS.
In addition to these charges, Browner faced accusations related to an attempt to traffic a minor with whom he had a sexual relationship. He communicated with the minor via Instagram, texts, and phone calls before meeting them multiple times and engaging in sexual activity. Browner provided the minor with cash or other items of value and attempted to arrange for the minor's involvement in sex trafficking. However, authorities intervened before any trafficking occurred.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, alongside Douglas S. DePodesta from the FBI's Chicago Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Julia Schwartz stated 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 emphasized that "traffickers operating today should receive the message that if you traffic children in the Chicagoland area, the sentence will be severe."