Crime & Safety

Lakeville Man Charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct, Child Pornography

Samuel Josiah Bender is accused of having sex with a 15-year-old girl and possession of child pornography.

A Lakeville man has been charged with having sex with a 15-year-old girl and threatening to post explicit photos and videos of her online after their relationship broke up.

Samuel Josiah Benda, 19, is charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine, and possession of child pornography, which has a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim reported to Lakeville police in June that she and Benda began having sex last year when she was 15. The contact, which included oral sex, happened about three times in Lakeville, the victim said.

Find out what's happening in Lakevillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police also spoke to the victim’s mother, who said she told Benda a year ago that her daughter was only 15.

Benda told police that he and the victim broke off their relationship last February, according to the complaint. He said the victim told him she was 17.

Find out what's happening in Lakevillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Police then confronted [Benda] with his knowledge of what grade in school she was, because he also attended the same school,” the complaint says.

At that point, the complaint says, Benda admitted that he and the victim had sex when they were younger.

After the relationship dissolved, Benda threatened to put images and videos of the two having sex on Facebook, according to the complaint. Benda told police that he had captured the images and videos without the victim’s knowledge.

Police executed a search warrant on Benda’s phone and computer. The complaint says they found no images of the victim; however, they found two images of Benda and a second victim, a 17-year-old girl, on the phone.

Officers interviewed the second victim, who said she knew the photos were being taken. Both images showed the girl naked, with one of Benda’s hands on her breast and the other on her genitals.

Benda – who was convicted earlier in July of third-degree assault in Dakota County – remains in the Dakota County Jail. He is scheduled to make a first appearance on the charges Monday in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Lakeville