Army Specialist Brandon “Ate Up” Storey—previously exposed by a Colorado-based child predator hunting group—appeared in El Paso County Courtroom A this morning for a pretrial conference that quickly shifted to a guilty plea deal.
Storey, wearing his U.S. Army uniform, waited on the courtroom bench flanked by a noncommissioned officer from Fort Carson as his case was called. When his name was finally brought forward, he stood and approached the judge accompanied only by a public defender.
Despite the formality of the proceeding, Storey’s demeanor betrayed the seriousness of the charges. When the judge asked him to explain why he was pleading guilty to obstruction of justice, Storey froze, stuttered, and admitted, “I can’t,” before adding, “I’m not sure what to say.” The moment underscored either genuine confusion or a calculated attempt to avoid self-incrimination. The judge then rephrased the question, asking whether he had attempted to retrieve his phone from a police vehicle during his initial detainment. Storey confirmed that he had.
Judge Denise Peacock deferred sentencing for 12 months and ordered Storey to attend a decision-making class titled “Making Better Choices”, a standard behavioral program used in Colorado to address self-destructive behavior and poor life decisions.
The Sting Operation That Exposed Him
Storey’s case gained public attention after a November 2024 sting conducted by CPP Women Against Predators (CPP WAP+1P), a citizen-led child predator exposure group. Storey had allegedly been using social media and chat apps to engage in explicit conversations with minors, including a decoy posing as an 11-year-old girl.
The group documented graphic messages and audio exchanges, during which Storey allegedly boasted about sexually abusing a stepsister and expressed interest in children. Despite attempts to erase his tracks, such as unfriending the decoy on Facebook, the evidence had already been captured.
When Storey arrived at a Walmart parking lot in Fountain, Colorado, expecting to meet the minor, he was instead confronted by CPP members who livestreamed the encounter and notified law enforcement. His attempt to take back his phone from the police vehicle during that confrontation later became the basis for the obstruction charge.
Army CID Investigation & Communication Breakdown
In January 2025, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) confirmed that they were aware of the confrontation between Storey and Colorado Ped Patrol, which took place on November 22, 2023.
According to Mark Lunardi, a spokesperson for Army CID, Colorado Ped Patrol had contacted Army investigators prior to the confrontation. However, Lunardi claimed that the group failed to provide sufficient information in time.
CPP disputes this. Their spokesperson, Ray Rayborn, stated that email records show the group sent a link containing digital evidence, but the link could not be opened due to military IT restrictions. According to CPP, Army investigators backed out of the operation just hours before the sting, prompting the group to move the confrontation off base to the Walmart location.
As of early January, CID confirmed the investigation into Storey was ongoing and that he was not in military custody at the time. Rayborn raised concerns that Storey still had access to communication devices, noting that some of his online profiles remained active on apps commonly used by offenders to target minors.
Military records show that Spc. Storey has served in the U.S. Army since 2016 and is assigned to the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Carson.
Despite multiple inquiries from The Salty Soldier, Army CID has yet to respond regarding Storey’s current duty status or whether he faces any criminal charges under UCMJ.
A Slap on the Wrist?
Storey may have avoided jail time today, but questions remain: How is a soldier still in uniform, with this level of digital evidence against him, walking free with a behavioral class and deferred sentence?
Programs like “Making Better Choices”, often offered by providers like I.S.A.E. Education Programs or CIMA Remote Education, are designed to improve impulse control, teach ethical decision-making, and encourage self-reflection. But whether that’s justice in this case is up for debate.
As Papa, a CPP member and OSINT tracker involved in the sting, put it:
“He is an absolute disgrace to the uniform and a complete embarrassment to the military.”
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