OAKLAND – Joel Lawrence Benitzhar, 18, of Martinez, California, has been slammed with federal charges for the heinous crime of attempted enticement and coercion of a minor. Benitzhar was cuffed yesterday and appeared in federal court in Oakland this morning.
The grimmer details surface from the unsealed criminal complaint, which reveals that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a chilling CyberTip. It flagged an account linked to Benitzhar as engaging in predatory behavior towards at least nine minors online. The allegations are monstrous: Benitzhar is accused of trading child pornography, having sexual intercourse with a minor, and plotting to meet up with another minor victim in 2025.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Brannigan stood united in the announcement of these charges against the young defendant.
Benitzhar now sits in federal custody, awaiting a detention hearing on September 16, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Kang.
Under the charge of attempted enticement and coercion of a minor, Benitzhar faces life behind bars and a $250,000 fine if convicted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly I. Volkar, with the help of Amala James and Yenni Weinberg, is spearheading the prosecution.
This case is the result of an intensive investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, involving the FBI, HSI, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, Walnut Creek Police Department, and Martinez Police Department. If you have any information pertinent to this case, contact the FBI at (415) 553-7400 or tips.fbi.gov.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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