Former Jackson resident sentenced to 30 years for child exploitation
A former Jackson, Tennessee resident has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for child exploitation involving an 11-year-old boy. The perpetrator used online gaming platforms to befriend and solicit sexually explicit content from the minor.
Why it matters
This case underscores the ongoing risks of online grooming and the importance of parental monitoring in digital gaming environments.
JACKSON, Tenn. (WBBJ) - A 30-year-old former Jackson resident has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of said conduct.
Benjamin Franklin Harden befriended an 11-year-old boy while playing the video game “Call of Duty” in 2025. Communication began through text messages, phone calls and video chats after the two exchanged phone numbers. Harden asked the boy to send him nude photos and the two also engaged in video chats where they performed sexual acts on themselves.
Harden told the minor to delete all traces of their communication but the minor’s mother found their text messages, along with photos, and called the police. Investigators determined that Harden was living in Madison County at the time and turned the case over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jackson.
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