Jonesboro Man Arrested for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

JONESBORO, Ark. — A Jonesboro man was arrested on April 3 after police discovered he was in possession of child sexual abuse material, including videos involving minors. Phillip Robert Briner, 50, faces charges after an investigation led by the Jonesboro Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Division.

On January 29, the division received multiple cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding child exploitation being uploaded to two Kik accounts. Investigators noted that despite the accounts having different usernames and email addresses, a warrant served to Yahoo revealed they were linked to the same phone number.

The investigation identified the number as belonging to Briner. Following this, a search warrant was obtained for Kik, leading to the seizure of incriminating images and videos that included explicit content involving juveniles.

Detective Adam Hampton reported that the materials involved exposures by Briner himself, as well as multiple videos depicting minors either nude or engaging in sexual acts with adults. “One video I reviewed shows a young toddler being raped by an adult male,” he stated, confirming Briner’s identification in the materials.

On April 3, a search warrant was executed at Briner’s residence, resulting in his arrest. A judge found probable cause to charge Briner with possession or use of child sexual abuse material, which is classified as a Class B felony.

Briner is currently being held at the Craighead County Detention Center with a bond set at $75,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 22.

This case highlights the ongoing issues of child exploitation online. Authorities urge anyone with information on similar crimes to contact local law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Due to the sensitive nature of this case and to protect the alleged victims, certain details including their ages and genders have not been disclosed.