Portland School Employee Sentenced to 22 Years for Sexual Exploitation of Elementary School Student in 2021
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Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
The following press release was issued on Monday, March 15, 2023 by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the District of Maine.
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District in Portland for the sexual exploitation of a minor.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Benjamin Conroy, 34, to 22 years followed by 15 years of supervised release. The court deferred its decision on restitution to a later date. Conroy pleaded guilty on August 31, 2022.
According to court documents, in the fall of 2021, Conroy sexually exploited a young student at an elementary school in Portland and then sent explicit images of the abuse to a third person using a dating application. The concerned recipient notified the Portland Police Department. During the investigation, law enforcement also discovered video of the sexual exploitation on Conroy’s phone. Conroy was employed as a special education technician by the Portland School District.
“Benjamin Conroy sexually exploited a vulnerable child in a place where parents should feel confident their children are safe and protected, at school,” U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee said. “He used his position as a school employee to victimize a young child with special needs. If not for a concerned citizen who received the child sexual abuse material from Mr. Conroy, we might never have known that a crime occurred. I commend that individual for not hesitating to report this conduct as well as HSI and the Portland Police for the diligent and thorough investigation.”
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Portland Police Department.
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