Georgia man indicted for child pornography production, distribution in Atlanta-area sextortion scheme

ATLANTA – A Mableton, Georgia, man who allegedly lured more than 100 young girls into sending him sexually explicit photographs and videos via social media, which he then posted online and distributed to their friends and family when the girls subsequently refused his violent demands for additional explicit content, was arraigned on federal charges of producing and distributing child pornography Thursday following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta.

Benjamin Jenkins, a/k/a “Rei,” a/k/a “Reithe8th,” a/k/a “Dani Domo, was indicted by a federal grand jury May 23 and ordered held in federal custody pending trial in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

According to court documents, Jenkins allegedly used different identities to contact more than 100 girls between the ages of 12 and 16 years starting in 2015. Jenkins allegedly lured his victims by sending them a pornographic photo and persuaded them to send a sexually-explicit photo of themselves in return. After a girl sent him a photo, Jenkins would threaten her into sending him more photos and videos. Jenkins instructed the girls on what body parts to show, what poses to make, and what objects to insert into their bodies. Jenkins further humiliated his victims by coercing them to send him videos of them drinking their own urine or licking toilets. He also forced his victims to watch him masturbate.

When a girl blocked Jenkins online, he sent her explicit photos to her parents and friends. On one occasion, he posted a compromising photo of a girl to her high school Twitter page. Jenkins also posted his victim’s nude photos and contact information online with messages for men to contact the girls directly for more photos. In total, Jenkins sextorted more than 100 girls.

“Jenkins allegedly used various social media sites to lure young girls into sending him child pornography,” said Northern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “He is accused of acting as a predator who terrorized his young victims by threatening to post their photographs online, unless they sent him more sexually-explicit videos and pictures. Parents and children should continually be aware of the masked dangers predators pose on social media.”

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul R. Jones and L. Skye Davis are prosecuting the case.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 16,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2016, more than 2,600 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 800 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.