20-Year Sentence for Man with CSAM Charges

MARION, Ark. — 2nd Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Sonia Hagood announced that Brice Michael Kane, 68, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Kane was sentenced to 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, where he will be required to serve 100% of his sentence under Arkansas law.

Prosecuting Attorney Sonia F. Hagood and Crittenden County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Coe, prosecuted the case. Circuit Judge Dan Ritchey presided imposed the sentence.

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As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors required Kane to forfeit his $100,000 cash bond as an additional consequence for cutting off his ankle monitor and attempting to flee the state. The forfeited funds will be deposited into the Crittenden County general fund.

“This defendant attempted to flee accountability by cutting off his ankle monitor and leaving the state, but thanks to the cooperative efforts of the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office and the Mississippi Highway Patrol, he was quickly captured and returned to face justice,” said Coe.

Hagood explained that Kane’s age factored into the plea agreement.

“In making this decision, we weighed the very real likelihood that this man will never walk out of prison against the trauma a jury would suffer if forced to watch the horrific child sexual abuse videos we would be forced to introduce as evidence. At 68-years-old, a 20-year sentence means he will likely die behind bars. I have not seen many 88-year-old men leave prison, and I chose to spare the community from the trauma of watching the vile and perverse material he possessed.”

The Arkansas Legislature strengthened laws on child sex crimes, which recently took effect. These laws ensured that Kane received a lengthy sentence with no possibility of parole.

“This case demonstrates the impact of our new statutes and the commitment of law enforcement and prosecutors to protect our most vulnerable victims,” Hagood said.