Stamford Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison: Feds

STAMFORD, CT — Brien Pennell, 31, of Stamford, was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, for using the internet to download and view child pornography, federal authorities said.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2008, Pennell was convicted in state court of sexual assault and possession of child pornography offenses, officials said. Pennell served 30 months in prison and was sentenced to 15 years of probation for those offenses, officials said.

On February 2, 2018, after an investigation revealed that an IP address registered to Pennell was being used to share images and videos of child pornography via the Kik application, Connecticut probation officers conducted a compliance search of Pennell’s residence and vehicle and seized various electronic media, including a smart phone and a tablet, both of which were located in a hidden compartment under the steering wheel of the vehicle, officials said.

Subsequent analysis of the seized electronic devices, Pennell’s Kik account and a Dropbox account he maintained, revealed 148 videos and 40 images of child pornography, some of which depict the sexual abuse of children younger than 12, federal officials said in a news release.

Pennell has been detained since his federal arrest on March 20, 2018. On June 26, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.