John Jefferson
Left: Emily Brinley; Right: Benjamin Coney appear in booking photos. (Benton County Sheriff’s Office)
An Arkansas football coach and his wife who were busted in an online child sex abuse sting operation after trying to meet with an extremely young child for sex have learned how they will spend the next decade and beyond: behind bars.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Benjamin Coney, 30, and Emily “Grace” Brinley, 26, were accused of one count each of internet stalking of a minor and conspiracy to commit rape, according to court documents obtained by Law&Crime. Coney had once worked as a minor league football coach in Little Rock — until the “To Catch a Predator”-like sting operation.
Federal authorities have announced that they have been sentenced to a combined 378 months in prison without the possibility of parole. Coney was sentenced to more than 17 years — 210 months — behind bars, followed by 25 years of supervision, and Brinley was sentenced to 14 years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervision. They were sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks, a Barack Obama appointee.
According to local CBS affiliate KFSM, Coney and Brinley aren’t done with criminal proceedings: they are also facing state charges.
According to court records, Coney faces charges of conspiracy to commit rape, internet stalking of a child, and 30 counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing child sex abuse material, KFSM reported. His next hearing is set for Tuesday. Brinley, meanwhile, faces charges of conspiracy to commit rape and internet stalking of a child, and her next hearing is set for Feb. 6, 2025.
According to redacted affidavits of probable cause filed in Benton County, the investigation began on Nov. 19, 2023, after an undercover detective received a direct message on an unidentified social media platform from someone with the username “centralsfinest.” Law enforcement allege the username belongs to both Coney and Brinley.
“I’m into some very f—-d-up, sick taboos,” one of those alleged messages reads. “Do you have any [redacted]?”
To which the detective is said to have replied: “I do … Watch yourself … you’ll get banned on here.”
Then, the couple allegedly suggested the conversation continue on an encrypted messaging service. On Nov. 27, 2023, the messaging continued, encrypted, and the couple allegedly explained they preferred a certain “age range” and identified an unknown number as “the perfect age,” according to the affidavit. The probable cause documents go on to reference additional messages that include increasingly graphic and detailed child sexual abuse.
The affidavits also allege that Coney and Brinley provided verification photographs of themselves as requested by the undercover officer — including one photograph with Brinley exposing one of her breasts, which the detective wrote, was not requested.
The couple was nabbed by law enforcement after agreeing to meet with the undercover detective.
In separate interviews, the husband and wife allegedly admitted to varying degrees of culpability.
According to the affidavit, Coney confessed that investigators “would located child sexual abuse material on his devices.” The male defendant allegedly suggested that while “he could talk a big game on the phone, he did not think he would actually do anything in real life” and repeatedly said he changed his mind. When pressed by the detective about specific alleged comments regarding the children he believed to be at the location, Coney allegedly replied that his wife wouldn’t have done anything without him.
Brinley allegedly confirmed her role was secondary.
“Grace stated that she was just trying to be a good wife, and that she was not interested in children,” the affidavits read. “Grace said that she went along with Ben and repeated stuff she heard Ben say.”
The female defendant went on to say that she just wanted to make her husband happy and suggested she was uncomfortable with how “sketchy” the meeting was.
As for Coney’s time as a football coach, that’s all over now.
“We are aware of the situation involving Ben Coney and have terminated his employment with the team,” the Punishers wrote in a post on X following his arrest in December 2023. “We do not support or allow his actions at all.”
Colin Kalmbacher contributed to this report.
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