An Arkansas couple is facing felony charges after authorities say they groomed a 12-year-old South Carolina girl online for about a month before Brandon Lee Britten, 31, drove roughly eleven hours to Spartanburg County to pick her up on Sept. 8. Investigators tracked his vehicle using Flock license plate cameras, and deputies found the girl hiding in a back bathroom of the couple’s Independence County home on Sept. 9. She was reunited with her parents the following day.
A judge found probable cause last Tuesday to charge both Brandon Britten and Sierra Dawn Britten, 28, with internet stalking of a child and traveling for an unlawful sex act with a minor. Brandon Britten also faces a rape charge, while Sierra Britten is charged as an accomplice to rape. Both are being held in the Independence County Detention Center on $1 million bond each.
For families across the Suncoast, the case is a reminder that online grooming rarely looks like a stranger in a van. It often starts as a friendly message that builds trust over weeks. If you want to know more about spotting the warning signs, keep listening to Radio Content Pro for updates and local resources. What’s one online safety rule that actually works in your household? Let us know in the comments.
