Henrico firefighter accused of sending child sexual abuse material over Snapchat

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- More details have been made available after a Henrico County Master firefighter was hit with several charges last week relating to the possession and distribution of child sex abuse material (CSAM) allegedly found through his Snapchat account.

Following a year-long investigation by the Hanover County Sheriff's Office, 43-year-old Brian Godfrey Martin was arrested on Tuesday, July 15, and now faces 10 CSAM-related charges.

On July 17, 2024, a tip was received by a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) about child pornography being uploaded by an account on Snapchat, a social media app, according to court documents.

Upon reviewing the material, an investigator discovered a video where a female juvenile was performing sexual acts to the camera, meeting the legal definition for CSAM, the documents said.

Following information being provided on the suspect in the tip, the investigator identified the suspect as Martin -- a resident of Hanover County and a Master firefighter who has been with the Henrico County Division of Fire since 2012.

Owner of Hanover children’s party venue charged with alleged rape, sexual assault of child

According to court records, the investigator reviewed additional images within a search warrant, and found pictures of Martin.

During further investigation into the Snapchat account, a chat was found that took place on July 3, 2024, and allegedly involved Martin and another user sending and receiving several images of child pornography to each other, court records read.

It is alleged that the suspect account sent two videos and received eight pictures of juvenile females, all of which violate Virginia Code relating to the possession, reproduction, distribution, solicitation and facilitation of child pornography.

While Martin originally was facing 11 CSAM-related charges, court records show that the two counts of felony distribution of CSAM -- as a second or subsequent offense -- have been merged into one.

The 10 charges Martin is currently facing include:

• One count of felony possession of CSAM
• Seven counts of felony possession of CSAM, second or subsequent offense
• One count of felony distribution of CSAM
• One count of felony distribution of CSAM, second or subsequent offense

While the investigation is ongoing, Martin will appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 11 at 2 p.m.

The Hanover County Sheriff's Office has asked anyone with information about the ongoing case to contact them at 804-365-6140.