Reddit, a widely used online forum platform, is currently grappling with a significant scandal involving the alleged moderation of several prominent transgender-focused subreddits by a convicted child sex offender. The individual, identified as Branden Michael Dunleavy, reportedly operated under the usernames Brynn and u/ranshin-da-anarchist, overseeing some of the largest communities dedicated to transgender topics until his criminal past was exposed.
The revelations emerged following an investigation published by the outlet Reduxx, which brought Dunleavy’s background to public attention. According to the South Carolina Sex Offender Database, Dunleavy was convicted under state code § 16-15-410, a statute pertaining to Third Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, which specifically addresses the knowing possession of material depicting minors engaged in sexual activity or sexually explicit nudity, commonly referred to as child pornography possession. Following the public disclosure, Dunleavy has since deleted his Reddit account entirely.
Further complicating the situation are allegations that at least one other moderator, known on the platform as Cedarwolf, actively attempted to shield Dunleavy from removal. Public posts and screenshots circulating online suggest that Cedarwolf, described as the lead moderator of the r/MTF subreddit (a community for male-to-female transgender individuals), worked to retain Dunleavy in a position of authority even after his criminal history became known to some members of the moderation team. Cedarwolf has not publicly addressed these allegations.
According to reports, Dunleavy initially provided a different narrative to fellow moderators when confronted about his past. He allegedly characterized his charge as "overblown," claiming it involved a consensual relationship with a 15-year-old when he was 19, asserting parental approval for the relationship. However, the South Carolina database lists his age at the time of the offense as 21, directly contradicting his account and aligning with the nature of the child pornography possession charge. Moreover, subsequent public posts following the Reduxx report alleged that Dunleavy’s conduct extended beyond simple possession, including claims that he was "going onto Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) websites, collecting CSAM content, and hanging out in underage chatrooms to solicit sexual interactions from minors."
The scandal first gained widespread attention through a Reddit user identified as Living-East-8486. This user accused Cedarwolf of attempting to "keep a convicted child predator on the [male-to-female] moderator team." Living-East-8486 expressed personal frustration, stating they had been removed from the community for "kink-related but always labeled for adults" content, while a convicted offender simultaneously held moderation authority. "Frankly, I’m furious over this situation," Living-East-8486 wrote, highlighting the perceived hypocrisy. "This moderator’s primary reasoning for excluding me from the community was to ‘protect the children’ from my weird *** kink posts (which were always marked 18+). Then I find out that they are openly defending a child predator being on the mod team."
Screenshots purportedly from private Discord conversations among moderators offered a clearer picture of the alleged attempts to protect Dunleavy. In these exchanges, Cedarwolf, using the handle Cedarpaw, expressed reservations about removing Dunleavy, citing potential difficulties for transgender communities. Instead of outright dismissal, Cedarwolf allegedly proposed that Dunleavy adopt a new username to obscure his identity. The suggestion reportedly included a plan for Dunleavy to spend approximately a week posting in unrelated subreddits to establish a clean account history before returning to a moderating role within the transgender communities.
This proposal was reportedly met with immediate rejection by other moderators, some of whom threatened to resign if Dunleavy was allowed to remain in any position of authority. Reports indicate that the moderation team initially received a tip about Dunleavy’s background in late 2025, which was initially dismissed as trolling before further confirmation was obtained. Beyond r/MTF, Dunleavy was also reportedly a moderator for egg_irl, another large subreddit described as a community where "adult men try to convince kids to troon out," according to a tweet by @WomenReadWomen.
The public disclosure has ignited a wave of backlash across Reddit. Users of r/MTF have begun demanding Cedarwolf’s resignation, and many have announced their intent to abandon the subreddit altogether. The incident has raised serious questions about the vetting processes for community moderators on major online platforms, the safety of minors within these communities, and the accountability of those in positions of power within user-generated content ecosystems.
