The Attorney General’s Office announced that Benjamin Mallery, 32, of Sheffield, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday in Vermont Superior Court, Caledonia Criminal Division. Mallery had pleaded guilty to one felony count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. The presiding judge, Michael Kainen, sentenced the defendant on May 16, 2024. By agreement, the sentence included 18 months to 5 years in jail all suspended with a 10-year term of probation.
The conditions of the probation require a treatment regimen for sex offenders and restrict access to pornography and the internet. Additionally, any contact with minors must be supervised. VT-ICAC is responsible for investigating cases of child sexual exploitation occurring over the internet. This includes production and online distribution of child sexual abuse materials. VT-ICAC also provides forensic examination services, technical assistance, law enforcement training as well as public education and outreach.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) serves as the nation’s centralized reporting system for online exploitation of children. Reports can be made regarding suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism and trafficking. Other reportable offenses include unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child and misleading domain names or digital images on the internet.
To make a report, individuals can call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678 or visit https://report.cybertip.org. NCMEC also offers support for those recovering from child sexual exploitation including emotional and peer support along with help in removing content from the internet and locating mental health professionals. For more information please visit https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources or call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678.