United States of America v. Bennett S. Park

Seattle, Washington criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with production of images of child sexual abuse and attempted enticement of minors

Snohomish County man pleads guilty to producing images of child sexual abuse and attempted enticement of minors

A 43-year-old Snohomish County man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle to production of images of child sexual abuse and attempted enticement of minors, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Bennett S. Park was arrested in August 2023, when he was attempting to pick up a 13-year-old in a residential area of Everett, Washington. Park had told an undercover law enforcement officer that he planned to pick up and molest the 13-year-old. When Park is sentenced by U. S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez, prosecutors will recommend no more than 25 years in prison and the defense will recommend no less than 20 years. Judge Martinez is not bound by the recommendations. Sentencing is scheduled for April 25, 2025.



According to the plea agreement, in July 2023, Park responded to an online add placed by an undercover Homeland Security Investigation agent, falsely claiming that the agent had two young children that could be molested. In his response, Park indicated that he was actively molesting children between the ages of 11 and 17. Park indicated he wanted to molest the agent's fictional children but was already meeting a 13-year-old. Law enforcement quickly put Park under surveillance to identify and protect the 13-year-old. Just after 1:45 am on August 8, 2023, law enforcement arrested Park just after the 13-year-old got in his vehicle.



After Park's arrest a review of his electronic devices revealed he had communicated with dozens of minors. Twenty-three of the minor victims were identified. Park had convinced them to provide images of sexual abuse via Instagram, Discord, Snapchat, Facebook, Gmail and Zoom platforms. In the plea agreement Park details his crimes with eight different minor victims.



his case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.



The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.



The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.