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Jury convicts former teacher in sexual exploitation case

TODAY'S TESTIMONY IN FEDERAL COURT. THE PROSECUTORS' OFFICE RESTED LATE AFTER THE SIXTH AND FINAL WITNESS FINISHED HER TESTIMONY. IT WAS A SPECIAL AGENT FOR THE FBI, AND WHILE SHE WAS IN THE STATE'S STAND, THE GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED EVIDENCE INTO THE RECORDS IN AN UNUSUAL WAY. TWO PEOPLE READING A 387-PAGE FOLDER OF TEXT MESSAGES BETWEEN THE ACCUSED AND THE ALLEGED VICTIM. IT LASTED ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS. IT WAS THE ABRIDGED VERSION AND IT LASTED 63 MINUTES. ON TUESDAY, SIX PROSECUTION WITNESSES TAKE THE TESTIMONY, INCLUDING THREE WHO BELONGED TO THE FRIENDS GROUP OF THE ALLEGED MINOR VICTIMS CORPS IN GILMAN. THROUGH THEIR TESTIMONY, THE JURY HEARD THAT THE ACCUSED HELD HOUSE PARTIES WHERE CHILDREN COULD DRINK AND TAKE DRUGS, THAT HE SENT BOYS OFFENSIVE AND SEXUALIZED SNAPCHAT MESSAGES SUCH AS, “ARE YOU WEARING PANTS?” AND THAT HE SURPRISED A 116-YEAR-OLD WHO WAS MONOPHY AND HOME SICK BY WAITING IN THE BOYS' ROOM AS HE CAME OUT OF THE SHOWER AND SAID, “LET'S WRESTLE,” THEN TRYING TO TAKE OFF HIS TOWEL. TWICE DURING CROSS-EXAMINATION, THE DEFENSE, AS EXPECTED, ATTACKED THE CHARACTER OF THE WITNESSES AND THE RELIABILITY OF WITNESS TESTIMONY. ONE PERSON ADMITTED TO USING THE WORD “GAY” IN A NEGATIVE WAY WHILE TEXTING WITH FRIENDS, SAID HE WAS NOT PROUD OF IT, AND SAID YES HE HAD TEXTED FRIENDS TO BUILD UP FURTHER ALLEGATIONS AGAINST BENDON, BUT INSISTED NONE OF WHAT HAS COME OUT SO FAR HAS BEEN UNTRUE, AND SAID HE WAS ANGRY THAT HIS BEST FRIEND WAS BEING SEXUALLY ABUSED BY SOMEONE THEY TRUSTED. WE THOUGHT HE WAS A MENTOR. IT TURNS OUT HE TOLD THE JURY HE WAS ACTUALLY A MONSTER. EARLIER TODAY THE DEFENSE SAID THE DEFENDANT WAS PLANNING TO TESTIFY IN HIS OWN DEFENSE AFTER THE PROSECUTION FINISHED. THE JUDGE MADE SURE CHRIS BENDON UNDERSTANDED HIS RIGHTS, BENDON TOLD THE JUDGE, “YES, I DO.” THEN HE ADDED, “Your Honor, I was advised to say I will sleep on it and let you know tomorrow morning if he will testify.” IS THAT OKAY? THE JUDGE SAID, “That's OK” AND TOLD EVERYONE TO BE BACK HERE IN FEDERAL COURT TOMORROW.

Former teacher convicted on all counts of sexual exploitation, child pornography and cyberstalking

Defense calls no witnesses and ends case in trial against Christopher Bendann

A jury deliberated for an hour and convicted a former Gilman School teacher on all nine counts of sexual exploitation of a child, child pornography and cyberstalking. The verdict came hours after the defense in the criminal trial of Christopher Bendann, 40, concluded its arguments without calling witnesses on Wednesday. The jury began deliberations around 3 p.m. Bendann chose not to testify Wednesday after his attorneys told the judge Tuesday that he wanted to testify to tell the jury he had a consensual adult romantic relationship with the alleged victim. In her closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Hagan walked the jury through all nine counts, explaining the requirements for a guilty verdict and reviewing the evidence at trial that supports it. “The evidence is overwhelming and the verdict should be guilty,” Hagan told the jury. Prosecutors pointed to five videos the FBI seized from the defendant's devices and cloud accounts that contained metadata the government said proves “(the victim) was a minor at the time of the verdict. He was filmed engaging in sexually explicit conduct.” During his closing argument, defense attorney Christopher Nieto told the jury, “That did not happen. In fact, nothing of the sort happened.” The defense claimed Bendann had been in a romantic relationship between consenting adults and that “the videos were taken after (the victim) turned 18.” The defense claimed the FBI misstated the dates on some – but not all – of the videos, saying, “There is reasonable doubt in this case. You can't make bricks without clay.” Prosecutors called the defendant “a former Gilman School teacher and former wolf in sheep's clothing.” They called the alleged victim “courageous” for testifying and called the evidence “overwhelming.” Regarding the cyberstalking charge, Nieto told the jury, “The defense does not contest count nine. Clearly, Mr. Bendann has lost his mind. His conduct was unforgivable and criminal. Mr. Bendann did not sexually exploit minors or knowingly possess child pornography. Prosecutors rested their charges late Tuesday afternoon following testimony from an FBI special agent. While she was on the stand, the government introduced a text conversation into evidence in an unusual way — it was read into the record by two different people from a 387-page binder. The reading lasted 63 minutes. Six prosecution witnesses took the stand, including three who were close friends of the alleged underage victim in Gilman. During cross-examination, the defense attacked the witness' character and testimony.

BALTIMORE —

A jury deliberated for an hour and convicted a former Gilman School teacher on all nine counts of sexual exploitation of a child, child pornography and cyberstalking.

The verdict came hours after the defense in the criminal trial of 40-year-old Christopher Bendann in federal court concluded its arguments on Wednesday without calling witnesses.

The jury began deliberating at around 3 p.m.

Bendann declined to testify on Wednesday after his lawyers told the judge on Tuesday that he wanted to use his testimony to prove to the jury that he was in a consensual romantic relationship with the alleged victim.

In her closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Hagan went through all nine counts before the jury, explained the requirements for a finding of guilt, and reviewed the evidence at trial that supported them.

“The evidence is overwhelming and the verdict should be guilty,” Hagan told the jury.

Prosecutors pointed to five videos the FBI seized from the defendant's devices and cloud accounts that contained metadata that the government said proved “(the victim) was a minor at the time of the incident. He was filmed engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”

In his closing argument, defense attorney Christopher Nieto told the jury: “That did not happen. In fact, nothing like that happened.”

The defense claimed Bendann was in a romantic relationship between consenting adults and that “the videos were recorded after (the victim) turned 18.” The defense claimed the FBI misstated the dates on some – but not all – of the videos, saying, “There is reasonable doubt in this case. You can't make bricks without clay.”

Prosecutors described the defendant as a “former Gilman School teacher and former wolf in sheep's clothing.” They called the alleged victim “courageous” for testifying and called the evidence “overwhelming.”

Regarding the cyberstalking charge, Nieto told the jury, “The defense does not contest count nine. Clearly, Mr. Bendann has lost his mind. His conduct was unforgivable and criminal. Mr. Bendann did not sexually exploit minors or knowingly possess child pornography.”

Prosecutors rested their charges late Tuesday afternoon following testimony from an FBI special agent. While she was on the stand, the government introduced a text conversation into evidence in an unusual way – it was read into the record by two different people from a 387-page binder. The reading took 63 minutes.

Six prosecution witnesses took the stand, including three who were close friends of the alleged underage victim in Gilman. During cross-examination, the defense attacked the witness' character and testimony.

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