Brian Herrick

Brian Herrick is Vice President of Child Victim Identification at Thorn and a retired FBI executive with more than two decades of experience leading investigations involving child sexual exploitation, cybercrime, and technology-enabled threats. At Thorn, whose mission is to transform how children are protected from sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age, Brian works with investigators, government agencies, technology companies, and nonprofit organizations to advance victim-centered solutions that help identify child victims and support investigations worldwide.

Prior to joining Thorn in 2024, Brian served as Senior Director of Information Security at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), leading cyber defense and investigative operations. Before CHOP, he retired from the FBI as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Field Office. During his FBI career, Brian led the Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Section at FBI Headquarters, where he drove the development and adoption of technology solutions to address threats against vulnerable populations and worked extensively with international law enforcement partners through the FBI's International Task Force.

Brian also served as an embedded Assistant Legal Attaché with German law enforcement in Frankfurt, Germany, supporting investigations involving child sexual exploitation and cybercrime. Earlier in his FBI career, he led a computer intrusion task force, served as an FBI CART Digital Forensic Examiner, and provided technical and investigative training to law enforcement personnel.
Before entering law enforcement, Brian held technology leadership and consulting roles in the private sector. Since 2001, he has taught digital crime investigation as an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He holds graduate degrees in cybersecurity, business technology, and criminal justice administration.