A former deputy sheriff in West Virginia pleaded guilty Thursday to the production of child pornography.
According to court documents, on or about March 2, 2023, while employed as a deputy with the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department, Jarrod Steven Bennett, 38, of Mt. Nebo, recorded two videos using his cell phone of a minor female sleeping on a couch.
Bennett admitted that he knew the girl to be under the age of 12 when he recorded the videos.
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In both videos, the girl is face down on the couch with a blanket covering her torso and her bare legs exposed.
In the first video, Bennett filmed the girl as he walked toward her and zoomed the camera to focus on her buttocks. Bennett admitted that he continued to walk toward her as he recorded the second video and filmed his exposed penis and him masturbating near the sleeping girl.
Bennett further admitted to saving the videos to his Snapchat account and transmitting them over the internet. Bennett has since been terminated as a deputy.
Bennett is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Bennett must also register as a sex offender.
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“The defendant exploited a minor child under his care and betrayed her and the community he swore to serve and protect with his deplorable actions,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.
“This was a terrible crime, and that it was committed by someone we considered a brother-in-arms makes it so much worse,” said Nicholas County Sheriff William F. Nunley. “We will never turn a blind eye to anyone sworn to uphold the law in this great State or Country.”
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