Stafford charges 2 with attempted indecent liberties with minors

Two separate investigations led to a Stafford Sheriff’s Detective charging two men in connection to online sex crimes.

Police began looking into these crimes in 2014, said Stafford sheriff’s spokeswoman M.C. Moncure.

Here’s more in a press release:

For the past few months, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office has been conducting online investigations into persons who target children for exploitation. Detective Darryl Wells portrayed juveniles in various social media and chat rooms to identify and locate individuals who are interested in such activity.

The investigation has culminated in two recent arrests. 

Allan Lewis Bentley, age 65, of Doraville, Georgia, was arrested on May 5, 2016 and charged with six counts of Attempted Indecent Liberties with a Juvenile, six counts of using an Electronic Communications Device to Solicit a Juvenile and 25 counts of Distribution of Child Pornography.

All of these charges are felonies under Virginia law. Arrest warrants were obtained for Bentley on May 5, 2016. He is being held in Georgia and has waived extradition. He will be tried in the Circuit Court of Stafford County. 

Bentley propositioned “the juvenile” that Wells was portraying and transmitted pictures of pre-pubescent children that meet the definition of Child Pornography under the Code of Virginia, while online.

Christopher Samuels Hawthorne, age 41 of Springfield, Virginia, was arrested on May 12 at his home.

Hawthorne was arrested on capiases from Stafford Circuit Court. A search warrant of the premises was executed and electronic devices were seized. Direct Indictments were delivered from the Stafford Grand Jury on April 4, 2106, for; two counts of Attempted Indecent Liberties with a Minor and four counts of the Use of Electronic Means to Procure Minor.

Hawthorne engaged the juvenile that Wells was portraying in sexual activity propositions while online. Hawthorne is now being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

The investigation into Hawthorne began in March 2016. The investigation into Bentley began in April 2016.