A Jefferson County man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to recording his sexual abuse of two minors. U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone handed down the sentence on Tuesday.
According to authorities, Benjamin F. Sexton Jr., age 49, abused one victim between the ages of 7 and 14, restraining her at times and providing her with methamphetamine. He also recorded the abuse. A second victim reported that Sexton abused her when she was 15 years old. Investigators found material documenting the abuse of both girls.
The case came to light in 2023 when the grandfather of one victim discovered explicit communications between his granddaughter and Sexton and alerted law enforcement.
Sexton pleaded guilty in August to charges including production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt of child pornography.
As part of his plea agreement, Sexton agreed to forfeit items seized by authorities during their investigation. These included computers, cameras, electronic devices, two handguns, cell phones, night vision goggles, and counterfeit $100 bills.
The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis County Special Investigations Unit, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anderson prosecuted the case.
“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice,” according to information provided about Project Safe Childhood. “Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.” More details about this initiative can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
