Joel Lawrence Benitzhar, Attempted Enticement And Coercion Of A Minor, California 2025

Oakland, California - Joel Lawrence Benitzhar, 18, of Martinez, California, has been charged with a federal crime of attempted enticement and coercion of a minor victim to engage in illegal sexual conduct.

According to the criminal complaint and court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip from a popular social media platform that an account, later determined to be associated with Benitzhar, contained possible enticement and coercion of at least nine potential minor victims.

The complaint alleges that in chat messages with Minor Victim 1, Benitzhar claimed to have “traded CP” (i.e., child pornography), had sexual intercourse with the minor victim, and arranged to meet up with the minor victim in January 2025. Benitzhar is also alleged to have messaged another social media user that he met with a 14-year-old girl in real life.

Benedict Benitzhar was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance in federal district court in Oakland this morning. He is currently in federal custody.

Benitzhar is next scheduled to appear in district court on 09/16/2025 for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Kang. A criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the charge of attempted enticement and coercion of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the FBI, HSI, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, and the Walnut Creek Police Department, with assistance from the Martinez Police Department.

Anyone who has information relevant to this case can report it by contacting the FBI at (415) 553-7400 or tips.fbi.gov.

Benedict Benitzhar, 18, of Martinez, California, is charged with attempted enticement and coercion of a minor. The crime occurred in January 2025 in Oakland, California. Benitzhar is currently in federal custody. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/contra-costa-county-man-charged-attempted-enticement-and-coercion-minor