PORTLAND, Maine — A former Ocean Avenue Elementary School employee was sentenced Monday in a Portland court for the sexual exploitation of a minor.
Benjamin Conroy, 34, was sentenced to 22 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maine said in a release.
"The court deferred its decision on restitution to a later date," the release said. "Conroy pleaded guilty on August 31, 2022."
Court records show Conroy sexually exploited a young student with special needs at a Portland elementary school in the fall of 2021 and then sent explicit images of the abuse to a third person using the dating app Grindr, the release stated.
The person who received the images was concerned and notified Portland police. Video of the sexual exploitation was also found on Conroy's phone during the investigation by law enforcement, according to the release.
During the time of the incident, Conroy was employed as a special education technician by Portland Public Schools, the release said.
"Benjamin Conroy's conduct was reprehensible. His actions were a betrayal of everything we strive for at the Portland Public Schools: providing a safe and nurturing environment for students to learn," a spokesperson for Portland Public Schools told NEWS CENTER Maine via email. "We are grateful to the Portland Police Department and to prosecutors for successfully pursuing this case."
"Benjamin Conroy sexually exploited a vulnerable child in a place where parents should feel confident their children are safe and protected, at school," U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee said in Monday's release. "He used his position as a school employee to victimize a young child with special needs. If not for a concerned citizen who received the child sexual abuse material from Mr. Conroy, we might never have known that a crime occurred. I commend that individual for not hesitating to report this conduct as well as HSI and the Portland Police for the diligent and thorough investigation."
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with help from the Portland Police Department.