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Two central Kentucky men, one from Franklin County and the other from Scott County, have received lengthy prison sentences in separate federal child pornography cases at U.S. District Court in Frankfort.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky said Matthew Stuart Marshall, 30, of Georgetown, was sentenced to 22 years in prison, after pleading guilty to production of child pornography.

According to his plea agreement, a victim approached law enforcement about being sexually exploited by Marshall, when the victim was a minor.  During the investigation, including searches of online accounts and electronic devices, law enforcement discovered 500 sexually explicit images of the minor victim, 33 sexually explicit videos of the minor victim, and 191 chats involving Marshall enticing the minor victim to engage in sexual activity.

Marshall also admitted to participating in the planning of a video and live stream of the minor victim engaging in sexual activity with another adult.  Evidence also revealed that Marshall had been directly communicating with other minor victims to entice and produce additional sexually explicit material.

In the other case, Richard Benson, 49, received 23 years and four months in federal prison, following his conviction for receipt of child pornography.  Benson faced an enhanced penalty because he was previously convicted of a qualifying sexual offense involving a minor.

In Benson’s plea agreement, law enforcement received information that Benson was uploading child pornography images utilizing his Google storage account.  On April 18, 2022, law enforcement interviewed Benson and he admitted to receiving, accessing, and viewing child pornography.  A search warrant revealed Benson’s devices contained at least 17 videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Benson further admitted that he was previously convicted in Wisconsin on two sexual assault charges in 1995.

Under federal law, both men must serve 85% of their sentences. Upon their release from prison, they will both be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 25 years. Benson was additionally ordered to pay $17,500 in restitution.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted these cases as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.