Football coach and wife tried to meet for sex acts with child, Arkansas cops say

An Arkansas minor league football coach and his wife are facing charges after police say they tried to meet with a child for sex acts.

Benjamin Coney, 26, and his 25-year-old wife, Grace Brinley, were arrested Nov. 27 on charges of internet stalking of a minor and conspiracy to commit rape, court documents show.

Investigators say Coney started a conversation online with an undercover Benton County Sheriff’s Office detective on Nov. 19, saying he was “into some … very sick taboos,” documents show.

Coney, who was going by the username “Centralsfinest,” continued messaging with the detective, eventually moving the conversation to an encrypted messaging app, according to investigators.

Over time, the detective learned that Centralsfinest was a married couple, later identified as Coney and Brinley, documents said.

While discussing a young girl with the detective, Coney described in detail what he would like to do to her, adding that his wife wanted to watch and that she “likes them young,” according to court documents.

Eventually, they made plans to meet, investigators said.

“I want you to feel as secure and safe about this as you can,” Centralsfinest said. “She also REALLY wants to meet up and was wondering if we could come and play today??”

The couple made their way to the meeting spot where deputies were waiting and placed them under arrest, according to documents.

In an interview with detectives, Brinley said she wasn’t attracted to children but “was just trying to be a good wife” and “wanted to make (Coney) happy,” documents read.

Both Coney and Brinley were given a $250,000 bond, documents show.

Prior to his arrest, Coney was head coach of the Arkansas Punishers, a minor league football team based in Little Rock. He was brought in at the start of the season.

“We are aware of the situation involving Ben Coney and have terminated his employment with the team,” the Arkansas Punishers announced Dec. 1. “Ben Coney is no longer associated at all with the Punishers organization.”

Benton County is roughly 220 miles northwest of Little Rock.

This story was originally published December 4, 2023 at 11:28 AM with the headline "Football coach and wife tried to meet for sex acts with child, Arkansas cops say."