Brandon Barrera, 22, was arrested in Miami after investigators linked him to the purchase of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using bitcoin. The investigation, which began in April 2025, involved coordinated cybertips from Discord and Cash App, according to Barrera’s arrest affidavit.
Detectives discovered that Barrera used a Cash App account to make multiple $50 bitcoin deposits to a cryptocurrency wallet address associated with child sexual abuse material. A subpoena issued to T-Mobile for the phone number linked to that account connected the activity to Barrera.
Evidence and Digital Investigation
The case originated from a cybertip reporting six images of CSAM uploaded to Discord. A subsequent search warrant for the Discord account uncovered images and videos of child sexual abuse, including the specific files reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
According to the arrest affidavit, detectives identified 14 images and videos depicting children between the ages of 2 and 12 as victims of sexual abuse.
Confession and Arrest
During a search of his home on Thursday, detectives detained Barrera. He admitted to owning the Discord account used to upload the videos and stated that he had searched the internet for child sexual abuse material, where he found a link to make payments via Cash App.
Barrera told investigators that after making the $50 payments, he received links to the material through WhatsApp and Telegram. He further admitted to masturbating to the content.
Legal Status
Barrera is facing 14 counts of possessing images of sexual performance by a child. He is currently held at the Metro West Detention Center with his bond status listed as “to be set.” As of the latest reports, attorney information for Barrera was not available on the Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Court website.
