Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty yesterday to producing child pornography.

According to court documents, Benjamin Taylor White, 34, produced an image of a 12-year old minor child completely nude in a shower. The image was uncovered on White’s cell phone, which also contained over 2,600 photos or videos of suspected or supported child exploitation or pornographic materials obtained by White via a peer-to-peer file sharing network in 2018. A forensic examination of White’s laptop computer further revealed that White searched for and accessed images of child pornography dating as far back as 2008.

White pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison when sentenced on June 21. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, and Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Shean and Elizabeth M. Yusi are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-17.