Brandon Lee Britten, Arkansas man arrested in abduction of Riley Berryhill, 12-year-old South Carolina girl as Flock cameras allowed the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office a breakthrough in the missing girl’s case after child was initially groomed online by ‘predator’.
South Carolina authorities are crediting ‘Flock technology’ in the arrest of a 31-year-old man accused of grooming and kidnapping of a 12-year-old girl who was found in Arkansas on Wednesday.
Brandon Lee Britten who is alleged to have first met his victim online where he allegedly groomed her is now facing kidnapping charges according to the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Missing girl’s disappearance triggers search for her whereabouts
The sheriff’s office said the seventh-grade student, Riley Berryhill was last seen around 4 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at a McDonald’s in Woodruff, South Carolina.
Noted a release from the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office in part, ‘Riley was last seen on September 8, 2026, at approximately 4:00 p.m. in the area of Arnold Road and Highway 101. She was last seen wearing a pink and white striped shirt, blue jeans, and carrying a PINK brand backpack.’
Surveillance video later showed the girl getting into a dark colored Chevy Malibu before 4:30 p.m.
Her disappearance triggered a search, with investigators working through the night to figure out where the 12-year-old had gone and who she may have been with.
Deputies said Flock cameras were used find a vehicle matching the one in the video which authorities were able to connect the vehicle to the man who had travelled four states away from Arkansas to South Carolina where he abducted the victim.
Investigators connected the owner of the vehicle to information provided by the victim’s family.
Vehicle captured on camera imaging four states away leads to case breakthrough
The man’s arrest came after the Independence County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas was asked to conduct a welfare check at the residence associated with the vehicle, WRDW reported.
The child was located there around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Britten was taken into custody, according to deputies.
Also taken into custody was Britten’s wife, Sierra Britten, who may also now face charges, Arkansas Radio reported.
Sheriff Rhyne said in a press conference that the suspect and the child met online through a social media app and that Britten had traveled from Arkansas to South Carolina to meet the child.
Sheriff urges parents to protect their children from the dangers online
The official urged parents to engage with their children, particularly surrouding the pitfalls associated with online devices and protecting their chidlren from the dangers online.
Added Rhyne, ‘…these predators prey on our children. That was his goal, that was his intent.’
The sheriff also said that the investigation would have been at a complete standstill without the Flock camera system and called it ‘an advantage for law enforcement across this country.’
‘Flock has come under a lot of scrutiny from a lot of people across this country,’ said Rhyne. ‘We have told you about the importance of this technology. This is a prime example. Without this technology, we would be at a complete standstill.’
How Flock technology works and concerns
The technology works by allowing motion detectors to capture several images as a vehicle passes including the vehicle’s license plate along with identifying characteristics such as make, model, color, body type and visible distinguishing features.
The installed camera sends the images and associated metadata to Flock’s cloud platform over a cellular connection.
The system is linked to a network of automated license-plate reader (ALPR) cameras combined with software that makes the resulting vehicle data searchable by law enforcement.
Participating agencies can share vehicle evidence across jurisdictions. Flock says its connected network currently spans agencies in 49 states.
Sheriff Rhyne refuted claims the flock system allows authorities to conduct mass surveillance but rather as a tool to instal ‘safety’ in the community.
Reiterated the sheriff, ‘ … imagine where the parents would be if we didn’t have this tool.’ Adding, ‘We would not have this girl safe with her family.’
Related posts:
