Couple accused of luring, abducting and raping 12-year-old after 700-mile drive

Brandon Lee Britten, 31, and his wife Sierra Dawn Britten, 28, allegedly posed as a 15-year-old boy to groom a 12-year-old girl online, exchanging explicit images before abducting her from her Spartanburg, South Carolina residence on Sept. 8. They transported the victim almost 700 miles to their home in Independence County, Arkansas, where the father is accused of raping the child while the mother, who has a young son, resisted officers and had to be removed to locate the girl.

Police used surveillance footage to track the couple’s black Chevy Malibu and found the minor trembling in a bathroom, pleading for her mother. Medical examination and a search warrant later confirmed the abuse. The child has since been returned to her family. Both Britten spouses are charged with traveling for the purpose of an unlawful sexual act with a minor, internet stalking, rape (Brandon) and accomplice to rape (Sierra), and remain detained on $1 million bail.