Tampa-Area Attorney Sentenced On Child Porn Charge: U.S. DOJ

BRANDON, FL — An attorney was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for distributing child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

Benjamin Crawford, 47, of Brandon pleaded guilty to the charge in June.

The court also ordered Crawford to forfeit a cellphone and laptop, which he used while committing his crimes, and he’s required to register as a sex offender.

Crawford distributed the child porn files using a social media app, and accessed the material on his cellphone and laptop to view them, court documents show, according to the DOJ.

He also obstructed law enforcement’s investigation by deleting various applications from his cellphone before law enforcement searched it, the department said.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Tampa and Tennessee.

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