A Jefferson County, Missouri man has admitted to sexually abusing two minors and recording the abuse. Benjamin F. Sexton Jr., 48, pleaded guilty on Friday to charges that include production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt of child pornography.
The case began in 2023 when the grandfather of one victim found explicit communications between his grandchild and Sexton. According to court documents, the victim told investigators that Sexton abused her from ages 7 to 14 and recorded some instances. Sexton also admitted to soliciting sexual images via Snapchat and providing methamphetamine to the victim.
A second victim reported that she was abused by Sexton multiple times at age 15. Investigators later found images of this teenager in Sexton’s Google account.
Sexton’s sentencing is set for December 2. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson will recommend a prison sentence of 27 years.
The investigation involved the St. Louis County Special Investigations Unit, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation online by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
