A Davenport man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for charges related to child pornography. Benjamin Riley Blankenship, aged 22, was convicted of receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The case began in January 2023 when law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip indicated that Blankenship had uploaded images and videos containing child sexual abuse material to a Snapchat account registered in his name. Following this, authorities executed a search warrant at Blankenship's residence and seized multiple electronic devices. These devices were found to have logged into the Snapchat account used for uploading the illicit content.
Upon completing his prison term, Blankenship will be subject to an eight-year term of supervised release, as there is no parole option in the federal system. Additionally, he has been ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office along with the Davenport Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves collaboration among U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and various law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.