A Phenix City man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material. Corey Joseph Brand, aged 46, received the sentence on May 12, 2025, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. In addition to his prison term, Brand will be under supervised release for five years and must register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case began in September 2023 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported an online upload of child sexual abuse materials. The user claimed to be an active-duty soldier in Georgia. The Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) identified Brand as responsible for the uploads after discovering he used another person’s identity to create the account. Brand had previously served in the Army but was discharged.
A search warrant at Brand's Phenix City residence led agents to examine multiple electronic devices where they found numerous images of child sexual abuse materials. Evidence showed these images were distributed further and that Brand had involved a minor victim in producing such material.
In 2024, a federal grand jury charged Brand with producing and distributing child sexual abuse material. He pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025.
The investigation involved several agencies including CID, FBI, Muscogee County Sheriff's Office, Columbus Police Department, Phenix City Police Department, Auburn Police Department, and NCMEC. Assistant United States Attorney Tara S. Ratz prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local resources.