SAN FRANCISCO — The founder of a children’s charity in Vallejo has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison in a case where prosecutors say he engaged in lewd chats with one real girl and one undercover cop posing as a girl.
Bryan Rosenthal, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg. Rosenthal pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography charge, but prosecutors say he arranged to meet an undercover officer posing as a teen in San Francisco, with plans to offer the “girl” marijuana so that he could sexually abuse her.
Rosenthal also engaged in lewd chats with a Vacaville teen, and expressed an interest in young girls throughout his texts. He also sent pictures of his erect penis to both the girl and the undercover officer, authorities said.
When the undercover cop, posing as a teen named “Jess,” asked Rosenthal explicitly if her was ok with her being 14, he responded, “I wouldn’t go any younger but yea it’s a turn on to be honest,” according to screen shots of the messages filed by prosecutors.
To the Vacaville teen, Rosenthal allegedly said, “You seem incredibly mature for your age or maybe I’m just immature lol,” and told her she could trust him. The girl ended up sending Rosenthal naked pictures of herself, prosecutors said.
Rosenthal’s lawyers argued for a five-year prison term, arguing that he was taking full responsibility and that he had suffered abuse during his own childhood, including at a “cult like” boarding school. Prosecutors asked Seeborg for a nine-year prison term.
At the time of his indictment in 2018, Rosenthal was involved in two Vallejo charities, Voices of Vallejo — which kicked him off after his arrest — and a group called Cann-I-Dream, which Rosenthal founded. In a bitter irony, given the allegations he offered marijuana for sexual abuse, the Cann-I-Dream charity sought money from local cannabis dispensaries to help kids in need.