Conway Couple Plead Guilty to Federal Child Sex Crimes
In a disturbing turn of events, a Conway couple, Benjamin Coney and Emily Brinley, has pleaded guilty to federal charges of child sex crimes and possession of child pornography.
Their journey to this point began in November 2023 when investigators with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office launched an undercover operation to catch individuals soliciting minors for sexual activities online.
During the investigation, Coney messaged an undercover officer, believing the officer was a mother of two minor daughters. He openly expressed his interest in engaging in sexual activities with the supposed children and even arranged to meet them in Bentonville. However, the couple was arrested once they arrived, and Coney’s phone was found to contain a substantial amount of child sexual abuse material.
Benjamin Coney, a former coach for the minor league football team Arkansas Punishers, and his wife Emily Brinley initially pleaded not guilty to the charges in May 2024. However, in recent developments, Coney changed his plea to guilty on September 4, admitting to possession of child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor, while Brinley had changed her plea to guilty on July 25, admitting to aiding and abetting the attempted enticement of a minor.
The couple will now face sentencing and will be required toregister as sex offenders. Additionally, they also face charges from the State of Arkansas. The exact dates for their sentencing have not been disclosed.
- Federal child sex crimes include attempted enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography.
- The couple was initially arrested in late 2023 and federally indicted.
- Coney’s phone contained 76 video files and 176 images of child sexual abuse material.
- Both Coney and Brinley will have to register as sex offenders.
