EATON, Ind. — A Delaware County man was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for distribution of child sex abuse material, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
According to court documents, the Muncie Police Department received an FBI tip on Jan. 28, 2022, stating that images depicting child sex abuse had been uploaded to Kik, an instant messaging app, by a username that belonged to 43-year-old Benjamin Covey, of Eaton, Indiana.
The same day, it was discovered that Covey had been accused of allowing minors to drink and showing them sexually explicit materials, the DOJ said.
According to authorities, Covey spoke with investigators, who found 600 images depicting child sex abuse on his cellphone.
"The distribution of child sexual abuse material over any platform is not a harmless, victimless crime, but one that continues to traumatize these children every time it is viewed,” FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton said in a statement.
Covey was ordered by a judge to be on supervised probation for 10 years following his release from prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Muncie Police Department.