BOSTON – A Pittsfield man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to child exploitation offenses while in the middle of testimony from the Government’s final witness.
Justin Benoit, 39, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Aug. 20, 2025. The defendant was arrested on Feb. 15, 2022 and has been in custody since that time. According to court records, Benoit has several related state charges pending in Central Berkshire District Court.
On at least five occasions between February 2021 and February 2022, Benoit sexually exploited minor victims known to him to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During searches of the Benoit’s residence, more than 250 CSAM files were found stored on Benoit’s tablet – including approximately 100 files showing Benoit raping minor victims.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a child provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Colonel Geoffrey Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pittsfield Police Department and the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
