Contact: Sean Berry, for United States Attorney Matt M. Dummermuth, Northern District of Iowa, 319-363-0091; Office of Public Affairs, 202-514-2007

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, June 12 /Standard Newswire/ -- James Bentley, 35, of Cedar Rapids, who took pornographic photographs of a nine-year-old girl and her baby sister, was sentenced today to 100 years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Matt M. Dummermuth of the Northern District of Iowa announced today.

Bentley received the prison term after a Feb. 26, 2007, jury verdict finding him guilty of sexually exploiting two children by using them to produce child pornography, possessing child pornography and transporting child pornography across state lines.  The verdict was returned following seven hours of jury deliberations over two days.

Evidence at trial showed that, in the fall of 2003, Bentley took pornographic photographs of the nine-year-old girl and her 13-month-old sister.  The pictures showed both children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  In the spring of 2004, Bentley took these photographs with him when he moved from Iowa to Arkansas.  The prosecution, however, was unable to show the jury the pictures because they were last seen in Bentley's possession and were never recovered.  Three people saw the pictures and testified to their content. 

The prosecution was unable to present the testimony of the nine-year-old girl because she was later abducted and murdered by Bentley's brother Roger Bentley.  Roger Bentley is serving a life sentence in an Iowa prison for the murder.  The nine-year-old girl's sister was too young at the time of her exploitation to remember the abuse.

Two of Bentley's previous victims testified about sexual abuse they suffered.  One victim, a now 21-year-old woman, testified Bentley repeatedly sexually abused her when she was 12-years-old.  Another victim, a now 15-year-old girl, testified she was repeatedly sexually abused by Bentley when she was between three and six-years-old.  

"No one can fully imagine the horror these young girls experienced," said U.S. Attorney Dummermuth.  "Although this conviction cannot undo the harm done, the prison sentence will keep this predator from ever again abusing another child."

Bentley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade.  Bentley was sentenced to 1,200 months in prison.  A special assessment of $600 was imposed, and he was ordered to make $420 in restitution to the victims' mother.  He must also serve a life term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Bentley is being held in the U.S. Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Berry and investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Linn County Attorney's Office, and the Benton County Attorney's Office.