PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN 6) – A 27-year-old babysitter, already indicted for sex crimes against two children, has been indicted for possession of child pornography, according to court records.
Benjamin Evan Nelson has been in the Multnomah County Detention Center since his arrest in May 2015. That’s when a grand jury charged him with five counts of first-degree sodomy, six counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of luring a minor.
According to court records, one of Nelson’s victims was younger than 12 when Nelson “unlawfully and knowingly engaged in deviate sexual intercourse.” The other victim was younger than 14 years old when Nelson subjected the child to sexual contact, records show. Both victims, according to records, are boys.
The alleged abuse occurred between Jan. 1, 2015 and April 11, 2015, according to prosecutors.
In June, Multnomah County Close Street Supervision Deputy Keith Fisher filed a report that shows Nelson poses a “higher level of risk to the community if (he) is released.” Nelson was “identified as a safe person who parents could trust to care for their children,” Fisher wrote.
Nelson used the website CARE.com to gain access to children, the report states.
During police interviews, Nelson “admitted to the behavior” that he was accused of, and “also told the detectives that there were additional victims,” according to Fisher’s report.
Nelson’s family told Fisher they were more concerned that Nelson “specifically used CARE.com to target children and he would be a danger to others,” Fisher writes.
A new indictment was filed Aug. 7 that accuses Nelson of four counts each of using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct and first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse.
Court records show Nelson “did unlawfully and knowingly employ, authorize, permit, compel and induce a child, to patriciate and engage in sexually explicit conduct for a person to observe and record in a visual recording.” He’s also accused of “unlawfully and knowingly duplicate, publish, print, disseminate, exchange, and display a visual recording of sexually explicit conduct involving a child while knowing that creation of the visual recording of sexual explicit conduct involved child abuse.”
Nelson has entered a not guilty plea to both indictments.Court records show prior to Nelson’s arrest in May, he did not have any felony convictions.
CARE.com issued the following statement:“This is a highly disturbing matter and our thoughts are with the family. Given that this is an open investigation, we will not comment further.”
