NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

FEBRUARY 5, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORMER JOHNSON COUNTY FIREFIGHTER PLEADS GUILTY

TO ENTICING A MINOR FOR SEX

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Johnson County, Kan., firefighter/EMT pleaded guilty in federal court today to using the Internet to entice a minor to engage in illegal sex, then traveling to Missouri to engage in sex with the minor.

Kyle D. Brewer, 32, of Shawnee, Kan., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner this afternoon to a federal information that charges him with using the Internet to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, and traveling across the state line to engage in sex with a minor. Brewer worked as a firefighter/EMT with the Johnson County (Kansas) Fire District #2 at the time of that criminal conduct.

By pleading guilty today, Brewer admitted that he contacted “Amy,” whom he believed was a 15-year-old girl using the online name “emptybonggirl,” by sending an instant message via the Internet on Oct. 29, 2006. In reality, “Amy” was Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox, operating with an online undercover alias.

Brewer initiated a conversation about sex, providing his cell phone number and making arrangements to meet at a specific location in Livingston County. The next day, Brewer sent a text message apologizing for failing to show up at the meeting, saying he had car trouble. Brewer contacted “Amy” again on Nov. 11, 2006. Brewer stated that he wanted to have sex and made arrangements to meet at a location for the purpose of engaging in sex, but Brewer did not arrive.

On Nov. 26, 2006, Brewer initiated a conversation with “Amy” on the Internet, and made arrangements to meet at 5 p.m. the next day for the purpose of engaging in sex. On Nov. 27, 2006, Brewer sent an instant message saying that he had arrived at the location. Sheriff Cox was monitoring the meeting location and saw Brewer’s vehicle sitting in the roadway near the meeting location. Brewer slowly drove past the meeting site and continued towards Sheriff Cox, who then stopped the vehicle and identified Brewer as the driver. During a search at the time of his arrest, Brewer was carrying two condoms in his pocket.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Brewer also agreed to forfeit to the government a cell phone, laptop computer and desktop computer that were used to commit the offenses.

Under federal statutes, Brewer could be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to life in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia L. Cordes. It was investigated by the Livingston County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

****************

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at