New Charge for Carrboro Assistant Boy Scout Master

A new charge has been filed against former Carrboro Boy Scout Troop Assistance Scout Master Brian Burnham.

The 36-year-old Former Boy Scout Troop 845 Assistant Scout Master Brian Burnham appeared in federal court in Durham, earlier this month.

A new charge was released from the grand jury just this week. Burnham now faces a count of knowingly distributing and attempting to distribute child pornography by mail, shipping, and transporting child pornography “using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce.”

Burnham had previously been charged with knowingly receiving child pornography from at least early 2009 through November 2014, according to court documents.

The investigation began in November 2014 with a cybertip from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

In the search warrant, an investigator swore that Burnham has not spoken face to face with juveniles about sexual topics: adding that Burnham only talks to the juveniles about these topics via the internet and cell phone.

Burnham’s defense attorneys argue that, however inappropriate some of those messages may be, the ones quoted do not support any inference that Burnham may have committed any sexual crimes against the minor males or attempted to entice any of the minor males to do so.

Burnham was released from prison under a $50,000 secured bond, under the conditions put forward in the court, including that Burnham would reside with his mother in Matthews. He also submitted to electronic monitoring, he shall have no contact with the victim or any minor child under the age of 18, unless in the presence of his guardian. Burnham is also ordered to not possess or use a computer, or any other means, to access any “on-line computer service,” or possess or cell phones or other electronic devices.

Defense attorneys filed 33 character testimonies from citizens who wrote in attesting to the character of Mr. Burnham.

He is due back in court next week for arraignment.

New Charge for Carrboro Assistant Boy Scout Master

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