Ohio Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Receiving and Distributing Thousands of Child Pornography Files

TOLEDO, Ohio – Brent Bennett, 55, of Norwalk, Ohio, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James G. Carr for receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography. The judge imposed the sentence June 10, 2025, with Bennett previously pleading guilty to the charges in January. Additionally, the defendant was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment and register as a sex offender, per the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. He has also been ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $126,500 to victims and $35,000 to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act. The Act was established in 2018 to provide monetary assistance for victims of child sexual abuse. 

According to court documents, from Jan. 19 to March 13, 2023, Bennett used peer-to-peer file sharing programs to download and distribute sexually explicit photos and videos of children, including prepubescent females as well as sadistic depictions. During a federal search warrant execution in April 2023, investigators seized two cellphones, two laptops and several digital storage devices from his apartment. Forensic analysis of Bennett’s electronic devices revealed that they contained more than 10,000 images and nearly 1,800 videos of child exploitation. Of those, 6,845 images and 1,282 videos were found to be sexually graphic and were confirmed to be designated as CSAM. The visuals were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for further review and to identify victimized children. In total, 22 victims were identified and submitted impact statements to the court.

The investigation also identified Bennett’s IP address as one of the top 10 in the state of Ohio for CSAM downloads at the time.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the United States Secret Service.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country and 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.