Fairfax County aquatics instructor charged with 30 child pornography related felonies

A 21-year-old Fairfax County man has been arrested and charged with 30 felonies related to the possession and production of child pornography as well as the solicitation of minors.

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The investigation began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was notified of potentially elicit images being uploaded to a Dropbox account.

NCMEC then notified Virginia State Police who was able to determine the owner of the Dropbox account was in Fairfax County.  

Fairfax County Police were notified on Sept. 16 and immediately assumed the investigation. Detectives executed a search warrant on the Dropbox account and located tens of thousands of child sexual abuse material images and videos.

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On Sept. 29, detectives executed a search warrant on Brendan Lynch’s home in the 9400 block of Mount Vernon Circle in Alexandria. Detectives recovered multiple electronics containing more elicit images and videos. Through a preliminary review of the evidence collected additional images of child sexual abuse material were located.

Detectives were further able to determine Lynch contacted teenage boys through Snapchat, Grindr, and Instagram where he solicited the teens to send elicit photographs and videos.  

Lynch was arrested and charged on Monday with four counts of solicitation of a minor, and 26 counts of possession of child pornography. He was taken to the Adult Detention Center and held without bond.  

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Since 2015 and at the time of the allegations, Lynch was employed with Fairfax County Park Authority as an aquatics instructor at multiple FCPA REC Centers. Through detectives' preliminary review of the evidence recovered, none of the identified victims appear to be from Fairfax County or related to Lynch’s employment.

Anyone with information regarding other cases involving Lynch or any cases of exploitation of children is asked to contact FCPD at 703-246-7800, option 6.  

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text by sending "FCCS" plus tip to 847411 or by web.

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Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest.

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