Spokane man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for enticing minor in Alaska

A 41-year-old Spokane man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for sexually enticing and exploiting a 12-year-old girl in Alaska.

Brian Powell communicated with the girl through social media, texts and calls nearly daily for about 5 months, exploiting her to obtain child sexual abuse images, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.

Powell and the girl exchanged 34,000 phone communications between January and April 2022, according to court documents.

Powell also went by Brian Gaither and Tyshawn Gaither, and claimed to be 27.

Investigators believe Powell had at least four other victims over the last 17 years, according to court documents. Those victims include people in Washington, Alaska and Michigan.

He pleaded guilty to coercing a minor in August. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release.

“Mr. Powell’s exploitation of this victim in this case is abhorrent but does not define that child’s life,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Our community is safer today thanks to those who came forward to disclose Mr. Powell’s bad acts and to the hard work done by law enforcement across the state.”

Anyone with information concerning Powell’s actions or who may have encountered someone in person or online using one of his aliases is asked to contact the Homeland Security Investigation Anchorage, Alaska, Office at (907) 271-3106.