PORTLAND, Ore.—A former Portland resident was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison today for sexually abusing multiple children, videorecording and photographing the abuse, and posting the illicit videos and photos on a private Snapchat page he maintained and used to entice other children to produce and share sexually explicit images of themselves.
Rolando Daniel Benitez, 30, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison and 10 years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in July and August 2019, Benitez, pretending to be a 15-year-old boy named “Marcos,” sexually abused two children, then ages 14 and 17, used his cell phone to videorecord and photograph the abuse, and posted the child sexual abuse material to a private Snapchat story page he maintained. In at least one of the images posted to Snapchat, Benitez’s online alias “Marcos” was written with black ink on one of the children’s bodies. On at least one occasion, Benitez sexually abused both minor victims together.
Investigators later discovered that Benitez, who moved to Washington state while the investigation was pending, used his Snapchat story page to entice other children to produce and send him sexually explicit images of themselves. Benitez only allowed girls to join and view his private Snapchat stories, and only after the girls complied with his “rules” by sending him photos of their exposed bodies. He further required some of the girls to write and photograph his online alias on their bodies.
A local investigation of Benitez’s crimes was opened after one of his child victims submitted a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline. The victim included Benitez’s full name and phone number in the report and pleaded with authorities to “please stop this man.” Less than a month later, Benitez was arrested in Auburn, Washington, for sexually abusing a 12-year-old child he met on SnapChat.
On January 26, 2021, Benitez was charged by federal criminal complaint in the District of Oregon with producing, advertising, receiving, and possessing child pornography. On October 5, 2023, he pleaded guilty to a three-count criminal information charging him with two counts of sexually exploiting children, and one count of possessing child pornography.
Benitez’s federal plea agreement is part of a global resolution between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the King County, Washington, Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. On July 7, 2023, Benitez was sentenced in King County Superior Court to 136 months in state prison and a life-term of community custody (supervised release) for his abuse of the 12-year-old child in Auburn. Benitez’s federal and state sentences will run concurrently.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau and FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) with assistance from the Auburn, Washington, Police Department. It was prosecuted by Gary Y. Sussman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
FBI Portland’s CETF conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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