Springs man accused of buying more than 100 child porn videos

The department of justice says a man who previously served time for sexual exploitation of a child is facing new charges related to child pornography.

Clifton Brett Bennett, 55, of Colorado Springs is facing one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Bennett, who was indicted by a federal grand jury, appeared in U.S. District Court in Denver on October 29, 2013. He was arraigned and taken into custody.

According to the indictment, between November 1, 2008 and April 15, 2011 Bennett knowingly received material that contained child pornography. Further, on January 23, 2013, Bennett knowingly possessed child pornography. According to a state affidavit of probable cause, a United States Postal Inspector contacted an Internet Crimes Against Children detective regarding a child pornography investigation. Postal Inspectors had identified an individual who lived in Colorado Springs who made over $4,000 in purchases for over 100 child pornography videos over a number of years. The Department of Justice says that follow up investigation determined the individual was Clifton Bennett.

A search warrant was executed at Bennett’s residence. The Department of Justice says that during the execution of the warrant a detective conducted a forensic review of a computer, and found images of prepubescent boys who were nude and posed in sexually explicit positions. They also found DVDs containing child pornography – many of which were delivered via U.S. Mail from New York. Bennett also allegedly bought and downloaded child pornography as well. Investigators also allege that Bennett was a member of the “North American Man-Boy Love Association.” Following the execution of the search warrant Bennett was arrested and held in state custody. With the return of a federal indictment the state dismissed their case in its entirety.

If convicted on both charges, Bennett faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and decades in prison.

“The defendant in this case obtained some of his child pornography through the U.S. Mail,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “Regardless of how defendants obtain their explicit material showing children being sexually abused, we will use every tool available to prosecute them.”

“Protecting children from these egregious crimes remains a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Adam P. Behnen, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Denver Division. “We continue to aggressively investigate, apprehend and assist in the prosecution of individuals who seek to sexually exploit children via the U.S. Mail.”

“Children are not a commodity. They remain our most precious resource and need to be protected,” said Colorado Springs Police Chief Peter T. Carey. “I applaud the diligence of our ICAC Unit in safeguarding our children from those who prey on them.”

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Colorado Springs Police Department — Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC).

A tentative trial date of January 6, 2014 has been set. The Department of Justice says Bennett has a prior state conviction for Sexual Exploitation of Children, for which he served time in jail.