Evendale Man Sentenced to 7.5 Years After Amassing Thousands of Child Sexual Abuse Files

Rain Phoenix-Brown, 24, was sentenced on Oct. 1 to seven and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material and tampering with evidence, Hamilton County records show. Judge Jody Luebbers imposed the maximum sentence allowed under state law, citing concerns about Phoenix-Brown's behavior and potential risk to children.

Investigation and Evidence

Prosecutors say Phoenix-Brown collected more than 3,000 files of child sexual abuse material on an encrypted file storage platform and was active in online communities that share abusive content. Investigators report he deleted many files minutes after speaking with police, a step that limited the charges he ultimately faced. Authorities also say an extraction of his cellphone revealed file names consistent with known child sexual abuse material identified in other law enforcement probes.

Rain Phoenix-Brown appears in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court for sentencing on Oct. 1, 2026.

Evendale police opened the investigation after a confidential informant reported that Phoenix-Brown was discussing pedophilia and sharing abusive material. Court filings describe him as active on Telegram and Discord groups where participants exchanged illegal content and discussed sexual interest in children. Prosecutors allege he admitted viewing material involving children as young as two years old.

Allegations About Proximity To Children

Prosecutors contend Phoenix-Brown sought work at the Squishable stuffed-animal store in Kenwood Towne Centre to be near children and even applied to be a babysitter on an online childcare platform. They say he told an online contact about being attracted to a child at the store who was wearing a diaper. Investigators also found nonsexual photos of students taught by his mother at St. Susanna Parish School that Phoenix-Brown had accessed via his mother’s phone.

Rain Phoenix-Brown appears in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court for sentencing on Oct. 1, 2026.

Arrest, Interviews And Online Conduct

Court records note that Phoenix-Brown was wearing a diaper at the time of his arrest earlier this year. Authorities say he was interviewed by the FBI in 2024 but continued to view and collect illegal material, becoming more sophisticated in his use of encrypted storage. In court filings a detective reported Phoenix-Brown openly identified himself online as a pedophile and, at times, told others he had sexually assaulted children; the defense disputes those assertions.

Judge Jody Luebbers: "You scare me."

Defense Statement And Sentencing Request

Defense attorney Brandon Fox told the court that Phoenix-Brown is a victim of childhood sexual abuse who turned to pornography to cope with trauma. Fox argued there is no evidence that his client physically abused a child and asked for a shorter term with treatment at the minimum-security River City Correctional Center followed by probation. Phoenix-Brown apologized in court, said he began viewing illegal material about three years ago, described some online statements as roleplay, and expressed a desire to receive treatment.

Prosecutors opposed the lighter sentence, warning the behavior indicated a serious risk to children. Judge Luebbers ultimately imposed the maximum prison term permitted for the charges.

Case status: Phoenix-Brown was convicted after pleading guilty to charges related to possession of child sexual abuse material and tampering with evidence; additional investigative leads and law enforcement findings are reflected in court records.