A man from Houston has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison after admitting to coercing and exploiting a minor.
Brice Andrew Flickinger, 25, pleaded guilty on March 20 to coercion and enticement of a minor. The sentence was handed down Wednesday and announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
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The judge who handed down the sentenced noted during the hearing that Flickinger had engaged in a sexual relationship with a “very young minor.”
The case began July 9, 2021, when the victim’s mother reported her daughter missing.
Authorities later spotted a vehicle dropping the minor off near her home and initiated a traffic stop. Investigators said they identified Flickinger in the passenger seat.
Authorities seized his phone, and a forensic search uncovered at least nine videos depicting sexually explicit acts between Flickinger and the minor.
A subsequent search warrant at Flickinger’s home turned up additional evidence, including a pair of handcuffs found next to his bed.
According to investigators, Flickinger initially met the minor through social media, and the two met in person approximately 15 times. Each time, authorities said, he would pick the minor up after midnight and drive them to his home.
The court also reviewed a letter from the victim describing years of emotional fallout from the abuse that began when the victim was still a child.
In addition to the prison term, Flickinger must pay $5,000 and forfeit his phone. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
Once released, he will remain under federal supervision for the rest of his life, be required to follow strict limits on internet and child contact and register as a sex offender.
Flickinger will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. The FBI led the investigation, with assistance from the Harris County and Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Offices.