Buckeye Reporter

Brent Bennett, a 55-year-old resident of Norwalk, Ohio, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for receiving and distributing child sexual abuse materials. U.S. District Judge James G. Carr delivered the sentence on June 10, 2025, following Bennett's guilty plea in January. In addition to his prison term, Bennett is required to serve five years of supervised release post-incarceration and register as a sex offender under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.

Bennett must also pay $126,500 in restitution to victims and $35,000 under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act. This act was established in 2018 to support victims of child sexual abuse financially.

Court documents reveal that between January 19 and March 13, 2023, Bennett used peer-to-peer file-sharing programs to download and distribute explicit images and videos of children. A federal search warrant executed in April 2023 led investigators to seize multiple electronic devices from his apartment. Forensic analysis found over 10,000 images and nearly 1,800 videos related to child exploitation on these devices. Of these files, a significant portion was classified as sexually graphic CSAM.

The investigation identified Bennett’s IP address as one of Ohio's top ten for CSAM downloads at the time. The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation leading up to the indictment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank H. Spryszak prosecuted this case for the Northern District of Ohio as part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation online.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood or to report child exploitation incidents, individuals are encouraged to visit Justice.gov/PSC or contact cybertipline.org at any time.