A Grand Junction man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, with a life term of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of children.
Benjamin David Harbin, 33, exploited children in the production of child pornography, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado.
Harbin used “Instagram accounts to communicate with minor females online, several of whom were between seven and nine years of age,” according to the release, and persuaded children to send him sexually explicit images of themselves.
He was sentenced Monday, after a plea agreement, by U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello for enticing minors to engage in the production of child pornography. The FBI investigated the case.
“The sexual exploitation of children is a despicable crime that causes immense harm to the victims and their families,” U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan said in the release. “We will not tolerate the predatory behavior of those who seek to exploit the innocence of our children, and we will work tirelessly to hold them accountable for their heinous actions.”
