Former aid worker from Summit County charged with sexually abusing minors in Honduras

A Summit County man who worked at a homeless shelter for youths in Honduras was arrested and charged in federal court with engaging in sex with minor victims.

Corey Bryant, 25, of Norton, was arrested Wednesday afternoon following a search of his residence. Bryant charged in U.S. District Court with travelling to a foreign country to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors.

Bryant, while working at a Honduran homeless agency as far back as 2011, engaged in sexual conduct with three minor victims -- including one as young as 9 years old, according to the criminal complaint.

Bryant was initially ordered held without bond and was ordered to appear at a subsequent bond hearing on May 4, 2015.

During the search of his residence, HSI special agents seized two thumb drives, two cell phones and a laptop computer. The devices will undergo computer forensic examination.

The federal charges are the product of an ongoing probe initiated after an anonymous tip was received December 2014 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Tip Line website.

The investigation is being handled by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). HSI Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit, HSI Tegucigalpa, and the Norton Police Department assisted in the investigation.

The federal prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Sullivan.

A charges is only charge an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation was conducted under HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,300 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.