SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Brad Beun, the 41-year-old director of special services for Springfield Local Schools in Summit County, was arrested by the Cleveland Division of the FBI on federal charges, which indicates he attempted to have sex with an 8-year-old girl by messaging an undercover federal agent posing as the girl's father on the messaging app KiK, according to an affidavit released Monday.
Between April 15 and 16, an online covert employee (OCE) with the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force in Toledo was working on the app to identify individuals expressing a sexual interest in children or incest, according to the FBI.
During the investigation, an individual using the KiK display name “Davis Bend” with the username “dbend2021” (later identified as Beun) answered the OCE’s post, sending a message on KiK inquiring about having a sexual encounter with an 8-year-old girl who the OCE said was his daughter.
In a graphic conversation detailed in the affidavit, Beun said he had “never done this before” and asked for a description of the child, to which he responded “sounds cute.”
The OCE asked Beun in the messages what he wanted to do to the child, to which Beun responded, describing sexual acts he intended to commit on the child, the affidavit shows.
On April 15, in a subsequent message, the OCE asked Beun to send an image of himself to verify who he was, but Beun declined to send an image of his face. Instead, he sent an image of a sticky note with the name “Hannah,” the name of the purported 8-year-old girl, and the date, according to the affidavit.
In that photo, the background appeared to show carpet and part of a filing cabinet consistent with a workplace office.
Beun continued messaging the OCE about the 8-year-old girl and arranged to meet the OCE and the 8-year-old girl at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Akron.
Around 10:40 a.m. on April 15, Beun arrived at the hotel and while still communicating with the OCE about bringing the child out of the hotel. Beun was arrested by FBI agents.
Agents found a bag in Beun’s vehicle that contained Skittles, condoms and a bottle of Nyquil, which the OCE asked him to bring when he came to have sex with the child, according to the affidavit.
Beun was arrested wearing clothes consistent with images he had just sent the OCE over KiK, and during a search, agents found a business card for Springfield Local Schools.
Following that discovery, agents were sent to the offices of the Springfield Local Schools district in Summit County and after obtaining a search warrant, entered Beun’s office. There, agents found the carpet and filing cabinet similar to what appeared in the images sent to the OCE and a sticky note pad consistent with the color and kind used in the images sent to the OCE were found on Beun’s desk.
Agents also confirmed the background of another image that Beun sent matched the bathroom used by employees at Springfield Local Schools near Akron.
Beun has been charged with coercion or enticement. His initial court appearance has been scheduled for Monday at 3 p.m.
The FBI is encouraging anyone that has had contact with Beun where they may have been “groomed” for possible future sexual purposes, were inappropriately touched, or they were sexually assaulted by Beun to call 1-877-FBI-OHIO. The information provided will remain confidential.
Springfield Local Schools issued the following statement regarding the incident, before the affidavit was unsealed:
We were deeply disturbed and upset to learn that Springfield Local School Director of Special Services Brad Beun was arrested Friday, April 16 by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI has informed us that the allegations involve an incident that did not occur on school grounds and does not involve any student from Springfield Schools.
The safety of our students is our most important priority, and we are taking this matter very seriously. As soon as we were notified about this situation, Mr. Beun was immediately placed on administrative leave with pay, following the district’s protocol. Mr. Beun is prohibited from attending all school functions, is not allowed on school grounds and is prohibited from doing any business on behalf of the school.
Mr. Beun is expected to be arraigned early next week. The investigation by the FBI is ongoing and we are fully cooperating with the authorities and will continue to do so until this matter is concluded.
Because this is now a criminal case, we will defer to the FBI for all future requests for comment.
The full affidavit can be read here. Warning: The details are lurid, profane and graphic. Reader discretion is advised.
RELATED: Springfield Local School District employee arrested by FBI on unspecified federal charges
Note: This story is related to Springfield Local Schools in Summit County, near Akron, and not the similarly-named Springfield Local Schools in Holland, Ohio, located in Lucas County.
