Registered Idaho sex offender sexually abused teenagers. He will spend decades in prison

A Nampa man registered as a sex offender was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child.

Benjamin James Morton, 39, was charged in October on suspicion of coercing a 14-year-old victim in April 2022 and recording some of the sexual abuse, court records show. Morton previously pleaded guilty in 2013 in Canyon County to assault with intent to commit lewd conduct on a minor, requiring him to register as a sex offender.

According to court records, Morton served six months in prison and received seven years of probation for his previous crime.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, Boise police alleged in the latest indictment that Morton pretended to be a minor online when he arranged to meet the underage victim.

Through their investigation, Boise police determined that Morton sexually assaulted the victim on two occasions, the release said. Police said they found a video of Morton with the victim on his social media accounts and also found evidence that he contacted other underage account holders.

The federal sentencing standard for Morton’s sexual exploitation charge called for a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years in prison, court records showed. U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced him to 30 years in prison plus life of supervised release, which will take effect once his sentence is up.

As part of Morton’s plea agreement, a second charge of sex offender committing a crime involving a minor was dismissed, which carried a mandatory 10-year prison sentence in addition to the exploitation conviction.

U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit thanked the Boise and Nampa police departments for their cooperation in this case.

“The verdict in this case sends a clear message that exploiting children or attempting to do so will mean a long stay in federal prison,” Hurwit said in a written statement to the Idaho Statesman. “I am glad we achieved justice for the brave victims in this case and am grateful to the law enforcement officers who built a compelling case.”