A 35-year-old Glasford, Illinois, man, plead guilty on November 18 to the production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
In court before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, Benjamin Lascelles admitted that he produced child pornography images and possessed child pornography when he recorded and photographed himself sexually assaulting two children, ages 8 and 6, on multiple occasions in 2019.
He faces statutory penalties including 15-50 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, and a lifetime term of supervised release.
The case is a result of the joint investigation by the United States Secret Service, the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office, and the Canton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna is prosecuting the case.
He remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Lascelles will be sentenced on March 23, 2023.
