Former Fayette County sheriff's deputy Justin Bennett now faces the prospect of spending much of his life in prison after a local jury found him guilty this week on 124 counts tied to child sexual material. The verdict includes 12 counts of second-degree pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and 112 fourth-degree counts. The judge revoked Bennett's bond on the spot and scheduled his sentencing for July 23.
As reported by CW Columbus, prosecutors told the court they plan to file a sentencing memorandum urging a lengthy prison term, arguing that the sheer number of counts could push the theoretical maximum under Ohio's sentencing laws into the hundreds of years. According to that account, the prosecution also successfully pressed the court to revoke Bennett's bond ahead of the sentencing hearing.
Authorities first arrested Bennett in March 2025 after an Internet Crimes Against Children notification triggered an investigation by the Fayette County Sheriff's Office. Detectives from Madison County later served a search warrant at his Washington Court House home and seized multiple electronic devices, WHIO reported. WHIO also noted that Bennett was relieved of duty, placed on administrative leave, and ultimately resigned from the sheriff's office as the investigation moved forward.
Charges and state law
Ohio defines "pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor" in ORC 2907.322, which criminalizes creating, distributing, or possessing sexual material that depicts minors and sets out different felony levels depending on the conduct and any prior convictions. Prosecutors in Bennett's case have emphasized the volume of alleged material and Ohio's post-2019 indefinite sentencing structure. CW Columbus reported that, taken together, the counts could translate into a theoretical maximum in the neighborhood of roughly 246 to 250 years under that framework.
What to expect at sentencing
Sentencing is scheduled for July 23 in Fayette County Common Pleas Court. Before Bennett appears, the judge is expected to order a presentence investigation and review written arguments from both prosecutors and the defense. Under Ohio's sentencing statutes and the Reagan Tokes framework, judges set stated minimum prison terms and determine a statutory maximum for qualifying felonies, and they decide whether sentences run at the same time or back to back. That concurrent or consecutive call will ultimately determine how much of the theoretical maximum Bennett actually faces, a process outlined by FindLaw.
Local context
Cases involving child sexual abuse material remain a top priority for both state and federal authorities in Ohio, with Internet Crimes Against Children task forces continuing to bring prosecutions that result in guilty verdicts and multiyear prison sentences. A recent U.S. Department of Justice release highlighting a separate Ohio conviction underscores that officials at both levels are still aggressively targeting people who possess or distribute exploitative material involving minors, a trend prosecutors routinely cite when they argue for long sentences in court.
