The Attorney General’s Office announced that Jason Benn, 35, of Derby, Vermont, was arraigned today on one felony count of Luring a Child and one felony count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. Mr. Benn is alleged to have engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a 13-year-old child. That child disclosed the conversations to a third party, who then made a report to law enforcement. VT-ICAC also received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children relating to a suspect uploading a file of child sexual abuse material to Snapchat. Based on the criminal investigation of that tip, Mr. Benn was identified as a suspect.
Mr. Benn pleaded not guilty at the arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Orleans Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Justin Jiron presiding, ordered conditions of release that restrict Mr. Benn’s contact with minors and restrict his access to the internet.
VT-ICAC investigates cases of child sexual exploitation occurring over the internet, including the production and online distribution of child sexual abuse materials. VT-ICAC also provides forensic examination services, technical assistance, law enforcement training, and public education and outreach.
Every child deserves a safe childhood. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. Anyone can make reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet. To make a report, call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678 or visit https://report.cybertip.org.
Additionally, if you are recovering from child sexual exploitation, you do not have to navigate it alone. NCMEC can help with emotional and peer support, removing content from the internet, and locating mental health professionals. For more information, please visit https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources or call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678.
The Attorney General’s Office emphasizes that individuals charged with a crime are legally presumed innocent until their guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CONTACT: Lauren Jandl, Chief of Staff, 802-828-3171