PORTLAND, Maine — Editor's note: The above video aired Oct. 14.
Former Ocean Avenue Elementary special educational technician Benjamin Conroy now faces federal charges for multiple alleged sex crimes.
David Pawson, a special agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, filed an affidavit Monday asking that Conroy be charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and transportation of child pornography. He also asked the court for a search warrant to go through Conroy's electronic devices.
The document claims Conroy took photos depicting child sexual abuse, then sent them to another user on the dating app Grindr. Conroy allegedly sent 13 "disturbing" images under the display name "Str8 Vers Anon" to an unnamed user.
On Oct. 5, the recipient reported the messages to Portland police, saying they went along with the conversation to try and identify Conroy so that they could turn him in.
According to the court documents, the minor engaged in the alleged sex act was a six-year-old girl with autism who was nonverbal.
On Oct. 8, police responded to a report of a female jogger who alleged a man rubbed his genitals on her neck and face while she was sitting on a bench on the Western Promenade. Prior to that, she said, he exposed himself to her while walking. An officer heard the call over police radio and found the behavior to be reminiscent of the Grindr messages, so he interviewed Conroy at the police station.
The officer could link Conroy to the man in the Grindr photos because he was wearing some of the same clothes. He also had the same two moles on this torso that matched those in pictures on the app.
Conroy reportedly owned up to pictures of him holding his genitals, two of which were taken in front of the female jogger, but denied knowing anything about a picture involving a female minor's hand engaging in a sexual act, Pawson wrote.
According to a release from Portland police, Conroy was arrested on Oct. 13 and is currently being held at the York County Jail on $25,000 cash bail.
He has been charged with the following:
- Sexual exploitation of a minor, class A
- Dissemination of sexually explicit material, class B
- Possession of sexually explicit material, class C
- Unlawful sexual contact, class D