Alabama man faces dozens of child sex abuse, pornography charges

Published 6:11 am Friday, March 31, 2023

An Alabama man was charged with dozens of counts of child pornography and child sexual abuse charges, court records show.

David Ezra Benton, 32, of Brundidge, Alabama, was charged with 19 counts of producing child pornography and 14 counts of sexual abuse of a child along with four charges of sodomy.

Investigators said Benton knew his victim, who was under 12 years old.

Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas thanked the work of his office, the district attorney’s office, Forensic Sciences of Alabama and the Alabama Children’s Hospital for their help in the investigation.

“This has been a lengthy investigation with a lot of hours and a lot of stuff to go through,” Thomas said. “The attorney general’s office helped find a lot of information on his phone for us and we’re very appreciative to all the agencies for their assistance in this case.

Benton was being held in the Pike County Jail without bond.