A Pittsfield, Massachusetts man has been sentenced to 46 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting minor children and possessing child sexual abuse material. Justin Benoit, 39, received the sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni in Springfield. After his release, Benoit will serve 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. He was also ordered to pay full restitution to the victims.
Benoit pleaded guilty in May 2025 to five counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography during government testimony at trial. He has been in custody since his arrest on February 15, 2022, and faces additional related state charges in Central Berkshire District Court.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley commented on the case: “This defendant’s conduct is nothing short of diabolical. He preyed on innocent young children, including two who were entrusted to his care, whom he repeatedly sexually abused. Each image that he captured will result in an eternity of trauma and revictimization on these children. Furthermore, he exploited countless children he never met and did not know from the comfort of his own home through his enormous collection of child sexual abuse material. He is every parent’s worst nightmare,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “It is our hope that this sentence brings some measure of justice to the victims in this case, and protects other children from further exploitation at his hands.”
Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division added: “What Justin Benoit admitted to is morally reprehensible. He raped and exploited three children under his care and documented the abuse to fuel his own sadistic desires,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This sentence is richly deserved and there’s no question the public is safer with Mr. Benoit behind bars, locked away where he can’t victimize anyone else’s child.”
The investigation began when local law enforcement discovered that Benoit had uploaded child sexual abuse material online in November 2021. A search warrant executed at Benoit’s residence in February 2022 led authorities to seize multiple electronic devices containing hundreds of files depicting child sexual abuse as well as images documenting acts committed by Benoit himself.
Further examination showed that some files depicted sadistic abuse involving very young victims—including infants and toddlers—and about 130 files documented Benoit’s rape and exploitation of two minor females and one minor male between February 2021 and February 2022.
Physical evidence found at Benoit’s home matched items seen in these files; two victims were under age twelve when some images were produced.
The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke A. Goldworm—Project Safe Childhood Coordinator—and Jessica L. Soto from the Major Crimes Unit with support from local police agencies.
This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched nationally in 2006—to combat technology-facilitated crimes against children by coordinating resources across federal, state, and local levels for investigation and victim rescue efforts (www.projectsafechildhood.gov/).
