A YouTuber known online as EDP445 has been charged with multiple felonies in connection with an alleged attempt to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex in Bakersfield, California.
Bryant Turhan Emmerson Moreland, whose online name is EDP445, was charged Monday with attempted lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, attending an arranged meeting with a minor, contacting a minor with sexual intent, and sending pornography with the intent to seduce a minor, according to court records.
Moreland was arrested Wednesday in Las Vegas with assistance from the Las Vegas Police Department. He is expected to be transported to Kern County, according to a news release from the Kern County District Attorney’s Office.
Moreland became known online for his YouTube videos, particularly his outspoken reactions and commentary about the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, he faced allegations in 2021 after reportedly attempting to meet a 13-year-old girl at the Pineridge Apartment Complex in east Bakersfield.
The incident is examined in a documentary released this year titled The Sick Mind of EDP445. The film explores two online vigilante sting operations involving Moreland and includes an interview with Chris Hansen, known for hosting the television series To Catch a Predator.
During the interview, Moreland tells Hansen, “I showed up that day trying to meet up with an underage girl.”
According to prosecutors, the investigation initially stalled in 2021 because the reporting parties did not cooperate. However, the case was reviewed again following the documentary’s release.
Prosecutors said Moreland’s statements in the documentary provided additional evidence that helped move the case forward.
“Following its review of the new evidence, the District Attorney’s Office determined that the evidentiary threshold for filing criminal charges had been met,” the Kern County District Attorney’s Office said in its news release.
Mike Clum, the documentary’s producer and director, previously told 17 News that all proceeds from the film would be donated to RAINN, the largest nonprofit organization in the United States focused on helping survivors of sexual violence.
The charges against Moreland stem from the Bakersfield investigation. The allegations remain subject to the criminal court process.
