Anchorage Man Faces Life in Prison for Child Exploitation

Anchorage man Benjamin Roundy, 42, has pleaded guilty to attempting to coerce and entice a minor in 2023, putting him on a collision course with up to life in prison.

According to court documents, Roundy, also known as ‘Aleks’ or ‘Alekzander Marko,’ began communicating with an undercover FBI agent posing as a 13-year-old girl on an online platform in July 2023. Over the course of several weeks, the defendant discussed sending explicit content, meeting in person, and the sexual acts he desired to commit if they met.

The investigation revealed that Roundy arranged to meet the minor on August 4, 2023, but was arrested by law enforcement before the encounter took place. A subsequent search of his devices uncovered over 5,500 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, with evidence also showing that he had uploaded similar content to an online platform in July 2017.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander of the District of Alaska and Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force led the investigation.

As part of his guilty plea, Roundy faces a sentencing range of 10 years to life in prison. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska announced the guilty plea, warning that child exploitation is a serious crime with severe consequences.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, launched in 2006, aims to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. If you have any information about Roundy’s actions or believe you may have encountered someone using the name ‘Aleks’ or ‘Alekzander Marko,’ contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.