COLUMBUS — A man who worked at multiple cell phone stores has been federally charged after he allegedly recorded illicit content from customers’ phones.
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Federal agents arrested 41-year-old Neil Brown of Grove City on Wednesday. Brown has been charged federally with child pornography and video voyeurism charges.
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Brown worked at multiple cell phone stores in Columbus and allegedly captured nude photos and videos from customers’ phones.
Investigators searched Brown’s digital accounts and devices after receiving a cyber tipline in January 2025.
Brown was employed by Cellular Sales and would take the phones of female customers and search through them for illicit content, according to charging documents.
He then allegedly created videos of the content on his own phone. To date, investigators have identified three victimized customers.
Investigators also discovered more than 75 images and videos of child pornography on Brown’s cell phone. Brown allegedly paid virtual currency on an app to receive videos of child sexual abuse material.
Brown was initially arrested locally and charged with pandering obscenity involving a minor, but the federal charges he faces have superseded the local ones, and the local charges have now been dismissed.
Brown appeared in federal court on Wednesday, and his case was unsealed at that time.
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