BID Corp chief arrested in child porn investigation
City officials on Thursday issued a statement after the director of the Brownfield Industrial Development Corporation was arrested Wednesday, accused of possessing images of child sexual abuse after a warranted search of his home.
Brian Brisendine, 43, remains held at the Terry County Jail on charges of possession or promotion of child pornography and possessing of child pornography. His bail is set at $100,000, according to jail records.
Brisendine, was the editor of the Brownfield News before getting the job as director of the Brownfield Industrial Development Corporation in 2019. The corporation oversees the Brownfield Economic Development Department, according to the city’s website.
His charge stems from an investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety and FBI into a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which typically flags IP addresses that appear to transfer files that contain images of child sexual abuse, according to a DPS officials.
Investigators tracked the IP address to Brisendine’s residence in Brownfield. On Wednesday, investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence seized laptops and smart phones. The devices found in the home reportedly contained images of child sexual abuse, a DPS release states.
He was also interviewed by investigators and was arrested.
Officials said it did not appear that Brisendine was producing child pornography or that other people were involved.
Brownfield city manager Jeff Davis said the city and Brownfield Industrial Development Corporation officials were informed of Brisendine’s charges on Wednesday and have fully cooperated with law enforcement.
However, Davis’ statement did not indicate the status of Brisendine’s position.
“Due to the nature of the ongoing investigation, the City of Brownfield/BID Corp will not be commenting further on this matter,” Davis’ statement read.
