DENVER — A Grand Junction man was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for enticing minors to engage in the production of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado announced.
Benjamin David Harbin, 33, used Instagram to communicate with underage girls online, several of whom were between seven and 9-years-old, according to the plea agreement. He persuaded some of the victims to send sexually explicit images of themselves to him, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Harbin was also under investigation by law enforcement in Canada and England.
Judge Christine M. Arguello sentenced Harbin on Monday to 10 years in federal prison and a life term of supervised release.
"The sexual exploitation of children is a despicable crime that causes immense harm to the victims and their families,” US Attorney Cole Finegan said in a statement. “We will not tolerate the predatory behavior of those who seek to exploit the innocence of our children, and we will work tirelessly to hold them accountable for their heinous actions."
