A convicted sex offender from West Virginia has been caught with a stash of child pornography, and now he’s facing the music.
Benson Cline II, 49, of Cedar Grove, pleaded guilty on Thursday, May 2, 2024, to possession of prepubescent child pornography in a federal court in Charleston, West Virginia.
According to court documents, between July 24, 2023, and November 6, 2023, Cline had 22 images and 134 videos of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone, which he accessed through his instant messaging app account.
The disturbing images and videos depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Cline is a registered sex offender, having previously been convicted of soliciting a minor via computer on February 24, 2011.
Cline is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing, with Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon prosecuting the case. The investigation into Cline’s crimes is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of child exploitation and abuse.
Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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