United States of America v. Benjamin Riley Blankenship

Davenport, Iowa criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Child Pornography Charges

Davenport Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Charges

A Davenport man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography.



According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in January 2023 that Benjamin Riley Blankenship, 22, had uploaded images and videos containing child sexual abuse material to a Snapchat account registered to Blankenship. A search warrant was executed on Blankenship's residence. Law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices. The devices had all

previously logged into the Snapchat account that uploaded child sexual abuse material.



United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Scott County Sheriff's Office and the Davenport Police Department.



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