Cleveland Man Accused Of Distributing Child Pornography

CLEVELAND — A Cleveland man is in custody after the FBI accused him of receiving and distributing child pornography.

According to the FBI, Benjamin Whitcomb, 26, was taken into custody on Friday. Agents found evidence 14 videos and images of child sex abuse had been shared by Whitcomb, a bureau spokesperson said.

The investigation into Whitcomb began Aug. 7, 2020. An undercover police officer joined an online chat room called "Pedcast Chat." A person calling themselves either "benshady69" or "B Shady," said they had "access" to two small children. The person then told the officer they had previously "played" with the children and planned on making a video with them, the FBI said.

The FBI launched an investigation into "benshady69" and determined the person behind the account was Whitcomb, the spokesperson said. Agents then discovered the "benshady69" accont had distributed 14 videos and images of child sex abuse with other users online, the spokesperson added.

On Friday, agents searched Whitcomb's home in Cleveland. He was then taken into federal custody and has been formally charged with receipt and distribution of child pornography, the FBI said.