SeaTac man sentenced for sexually abusing child for years, including at trips to Disneyland
SEATAC, Wash. - A former TSA agent has been sentenced for grooming a boy when he was 8-years-old and sexually abusing him for years.
38-year-old Brandan Wilkins, of SeaTac, will spend 25 years in prison for four federal felony charges related to child sex abuse, according to the U.S. District. Court. Those charges included travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, possession of child pornography, receiving child pornography and enticement of a minor.
Law enforcement first searched Wilkins's home in July of 2018 after he posed as a 13-year-old boy to solicit sexually explicit pictures from young teens. An internet provider notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an internet account linked to Wilkins had received videos of minors in sexually explicit scenarios.
When they searched his home, they found thousands of images of child pornography, the court said. Also during that search, police found a student ID in his wallet of a child that Wilkins had befriended.
According to investigators, Wilkins began sexually abusing an 8-year-old boy starting in 2009. He admitted to posing as a "father figure" for the boy to get access to him. He also took trips to Disneyland with the boy, and sexually abused him there.
In asking for the lengthy sentence and lifetime supervised release Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, "By sexually exploiting his many victims, the defendant has forever impacted their lives in ways that may have significant long-term health consequences. What these victims endured at his hands has the potential for severe lifelong psychological consequences to their self-esteem and well-being."
Wilkins pleaded guilty in February of 2021.
He will next be appearing in King County Superior Court to face charges of sex offenses against a minor. King County is recommending a sentence of 24 years in jail – that sentence will run concurrently with his federal sentence.
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