Davenport Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Charge

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced today, Thursday, February 1, 2024, to 210 months in federal prison for distribution and receipt of child pornography.

According to public court documents at the time of his plea, Benji Clark Engesser, Jr., 23, was identified by law enforcement when a parent reported that they found their minor child exchanging sexual pictures with an adult. The phone number associated with the adult was traced to Engesser. During the execution of a search warrant of Engesser, Engesser’s phone was seized. Law enforcement forensically evaluated Engesser’s phone and uncovered images and videos of child sexual abuse material, that had both been received and distributed from Engesser’s phone.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Engesser will be required to serve ten years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. / For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.