Ex-Police Officer Sentenced in Attempted Entice of Minor Case

LAREDO, Texas – A 42-year-old Odessa man and ex-police officer has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for attempted enticement of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Chad Michael Bennett pleaded guilty March 3, 2016.

Today, visiting U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison sentenced Bennett to 120 months in federal prison. The sentence will be immediately followed by 20 years of supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. In addition, the court ordered Bennett to register as a sex offender.

From Dec. 14, 2015, to Dec. 30, 2015, Bennett communicated through cell phone calls, text messages, emails and online chats detailing his intended plans to engage in sexual acts with a girl he thought was a 14-year-old girl. He had placed a Craigslist ad to which an undercover agent responded, claiming to be the mother of the girl and offering her for sexual activity.

On Dec. 30, 2015, Bennett flew from Odessa to Laredo for the purpose of engaging in a sexual act with the girl. He was taken into custody upon his arrival. At the time of his arrest, Bennett was in possession of numerous images of child pornography.

Bennett will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations - Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney José Angel Flores Jr. prosecuted the case.

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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."