LAREDO, Texas – A former Odessa police officer has been handed down a 120-month sentence after being convicted of attempting to entice a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Chad Michael Bennett, 42, pleaded guilty on March 3, 2016, and was sentenced today by visiting U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison to serve his prison term immediately followed by 20 years of supervised release. During the supervision period, Bennett is forbidden from contacting children or accessing the Internet without prior approval.
Bennett had been communicating with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl through cell phone calls, text messages, emails, and online chats, detailing his plans to engage in sexual acts. His enticement scheme began on December 14, 2015, and continued until his arrest on December 30, 2015.
On the day of his arrest, Bennett flew from Odessa to Laredo with the intent to meet the girl for a sexual act. Upon his arrival in Laredo, he was apprehended by authorities. At the time of his capture, numerous images of child pornography were found on his possession.
The investigation into Bennett’s crimes was conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations – Child Exploitation Task Force, with Assistant U.S. Attorney José Angel Flores Jr. overseeing the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice. More information on this initiative can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Bennett will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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