Boulder County, Colo. - On October 1, 2022, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office arrested 40-year-old Benito Chavez-Perez for possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a social messaging application. Chavez-Perez resides in the 2300 block of Wedgewood Avenue in the City of Longmont.

The investigation began after the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received information about the distribution of CSAM from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). A search warrant was executed on September 21, 2022, at Chavez-Perez’s residence where additional evidence was located.

Boulder County Sheriff’s Office houses the local members of Colorado ICAC task force, comprised of Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab investigators from Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Longmont Department of Public Safety, Boulder Police Department and Boulder County District Attorney’s Office.

Chavez-Perez was booked into the Boulder County Jail and is being held on no bond for one count of §18-6-403(3)(b), Sexual exploitation of a child-possession with intent to distribute, a Class 3 Felony, and two counts of §18-6-403(3)(b.5) Sexual exploitation of a child-possession, one Class 4 Felony and one Class 5 Felony.

The associated Boulder County Sheriff’s Office case number is 22-04287.

Agencies who assisted with this investigation include the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, Boulder Police Department and Longmont Department of Public Safety.

About ICAC:

The Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), is a group of local and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as prosecutors located in and around the state of Colorado who are trained and dedicated to protecting children online by investigating and prosecuting crimes committed against children, facilitated by the internet, technology, and computer usage. Colorado ICAC is a member of the National ICAC Task Force.

If you suspect a child is being sexually exploited online, you can report it online (link is external) or by calling 1-800-THE-LOST.

As in every criminal case, these charges are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

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/s/Sergeant Jeff Pelletier