Ministry Volunteer Sentenced to More than Seven Years in Prison for Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct with Honduran Minors

An Ohio man was sentenced today to 90 months in prison for sexually abusing three Honduran minors, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio. 

Corey L. Bryant, 26, of Norton, Ohio, was a volunteer at two different homeless ministries in Honduras that provided housing and supportive services for impoverished children.  Bryant admitted that between August 2011 and November 2014, he traveled between the United States and Honduras 10 times.  Bryant further admitted that while serving as a resident volunteer at one of these ministries and teaching fourth grade at a local private school, he repeatedly sexually abused three Honduran minors who resided at these ministries.  On Aug. 7, 2015, Bryant pleaded guilty to three counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct abroad as a U.S. citizen.

The investigation was conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations Cleveland Field Office.  Trial Attorney Amy E. Larson of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan of the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.