Wilton man sentenced to over 17 years for child porn

CEDAR RAPIDS -- A man who solicited children and underage teens for sex online -- and sent them child pornography -- was sentenced this week to more than 17 years in federal prison.

Benjamin Mockmore, 37, of Wilton, pleaded guilty in August to one count of distribution of child pornography, according to court documents.

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According to evidence at Wednesday’s sentencing and an earlier plea hearing, Mockmore in 2021 and 2022 had online sexual communications with more than one minor. During some of the conversations with the girls, Mockmore sent images and videos of child pornography to them. One of the teens, 15, was autistic and Mockmore requested she send him “nudes.”

Mockmore also sent graphic photos of himself to multiple teens, including the autistic girl, according to evidence. In March 2022, an adult female from Wilton posing online as a 12-year-old girl communicated with Mockmore. During the conversations, Mockmore told her he wanted to have sex with the 12-year-old she pretended to be, and he would be home alone on March 20, 2022.

The woman confronted Mockmore March 19, 2022, and he admitted to sending graphic photos of himself when he believed she was 12. Mockmore also offered the woman money to not to report him to law enforcement.

Four days after his encounter with the woman in Wilton, Mockmore had an online conversation with another adult female who was posing as a 13-year-old girl, according to evidence. Mockmore sent her a graphic photo of himself and requested the girl send him a photo of herself in the shower.

Authorities obtained a search warrant for Mockmore’s residence March 29, 2022, and seized two of his cellphones, prosecutors said. The phones contained 181 images and 50 videos of child pornography and 61 online conversations where Mockmore sent child pornography to another person. Over 30 of the people who received child pornography from Mockmore told him they were juveniles.

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Mockmore to 210 months in prison. He also ordered him to pay $9,000 in victim restitution. Mockmore also must serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Chatham and Jason Norwood. It was investigated by the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Shelby County, Ala., Sheriff’s Office.

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