U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has sentenced Christopher Kenji Bendann, a former teacher from Baltimore, Maryland, to 35 years in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release. The sentencing follows a federal jury's decision on August 28, 2024, which found Bendann guilty of multiple charges including five counts of sexual exploitation of a child, three counts of possession of child-sexual-abuse material, and one count of cyberstalking.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron, announced the sentence alongside Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno from the FBI Baltimore Field Office; Chief Robert McCullough from the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that between September 16, 2017, and February 9, 2019, Bendann produced videos involving sexually explicit conduct with a minor male student at The Gilman School in Baltimore. The victim was aged between 16 and 17 during this period.
Law enforcement discovered these videos stored on Bendann's iCloud account leading to charges related to possession of child-sexual-abuse material. Further evidence indicated that from May to December 2022, Bendann cyberstalked the same victim through electronic messages demanding contact and explicit images under threat of public exposure.
On February 3, 2023, upon his arrest, multiple depictions of child-sexual-abuse material were found on various electronic devices belonging to Bendann.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project involves collaboration among federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
U.S. Attorney Barron acknowledged the efforts of the FBI, Baltimore County Police Department, and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office in this investigation and prosecution. He also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn and Kim Y. Hagan for prosecuting the case along with Paralegal Specialist Julie Jarman for her assistance.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood or Internet safety education resources visit www.justice.gov/psc or www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach for details on community outreach initiatives by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office.