San Mateo Resident Charged With Receipt Of Child Pornography

SAN FRANCISCO – Adrian Kyle Benjamin made an initial appearance today in federal court on a criminal complaint for receipt of child pornography, announced David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.  Benjamin made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore. 

According to the complaint filed September 30, 2020, and unsealed today, between July 2018 and December 2019, Benjamin, 24, of San Mateo, solicited and received sexually explicit videos constituting child pornography from at least three female minor victims between the ages of 14 and 15.  In March 2020, FBI executed a search warrant at Benjamin’s residence and found sexually explicit videos of each of the three minor victims saved on Benjamin’s hard drive in folders labeled with each victim’s name.  Benjamin was aware of the minor victims’ ages and engaged in enticement and grooming techniques to solicit child pornography from at least one of the victims. 

The charges contained in the criminal complaint are mere allegations.  As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.  Benjamin is charged with receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2).  If convicted of the charge, Benjamin faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  The charge also carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and five years of supervised release.

Benjamin’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 8, 2020, at 10:30, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins, for a detention hearing. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Priedeman and Mohit Gourisaria are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Alexa Leisure.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.