PORTLAND, Maine — A former Portland elementary school employee, who was found guilty of sexual exploitation of a minor, died in a federal prison.
Benjamin Conroy, 35, became unresponsive around 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Fort Dix in New Jersey, according to a press release from the institution's executive assistant. Employees apparently attempted to use life-saving measures to revive Conroy, but he was he was pronounced dead by hospital personnel who responded.
Conroy was sentenced to serve 22 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised released in May 2023. He was found guilty of sexual exploitation of a minor in August 2022.
According to court documents, Conroy sexually exploited a young student with special needs at a Portland elementary school in the fall of 2021 and sent explicit images of the abuse to a third person using the dating app Grindr.
During the time of the incident, Conroy was employed as a special education technician by Portland Public Schools.
Conroy had been in custody at FCI Fort Dix since August 22, 2023, according to the press release.
"For safety, security, and privacy reasons, this office does not share specifics regarding the cause of death for any individual in our custody," the news release stated.
