FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — An Arkansas husband and wife federally indicted for child sex crimes have pleaded guilty and now await sentencing.
Benjamin Coney and Emily Brinley were indicted in federal court after their arrests in late 2023. In May 2024 the two pleaded not guilty to the various charges.
On July 25, Brinley took a plea agreement and changed her plea to guilty of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, aiding and abetting.
On Sept. 4, Coney took a plea agreement and changed his plea to guilty of possession of child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, aiding and abetting.
Court documents said that in November 2023, investigators with the Benton County Sheriff's Office began an undercover investigation into people using the internet to solicit minors for sexual activity.
During the investigation, an undercover officer pretended to be a mother of two daughters, nine and four years old, according to court documents. On Nov. 19, 2023, Coney messaged the officer asking if they had any daughters, explaining that he was "into some very f***ed up taboos."
Court documents said that the account Coney was messaging from belonged to him and Brinley, the pair a married couple from Conway.
On Nov. 27, Coney "discussed specific details of performing sexual activities with the purported 9-year-old and 4-year-old girls." Court documents said that Coney continued speaking to the undercover officer about the fake children and requested that they be able to travel to meet them.
Coney and Brinley arranged to travel from Conway to Bentonville to engage in sexual activity with the minors. The two were arrested by law enforcement once in Bentonville, according to court filings. Coney's phone was searched, and investigators found 76 video files and 176 images of child sexual abuse material, or CSAM.
Coney is a former coach with the Arkansas Punishers, a minor league football team based out of Little Rock. In a post on Dec. 1, the Punishers stated that Coney was no longer associated with the organization.
The couple now awaits sentencing. Court records do not indicate any scheduled sentencing dates. Coney and Brinley both will have to register as sex offenders.
In addition to the federal indictments, Coney and Brinley also face charges with the State of Arkansas.
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