The accused man who is listed as an inmate in a South Dakota jail has faced child pornography charges before.
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A known sex offender who allegedly absconded across the border into the U.S. with two children in August now faces charges in that country.
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An indictment, obtained by the Leader-Post Tuesday, shows that a grand jury has charged that on or about Aug. 9 at Sturgis, South Dakota, Benjamin Martin Moore knowingly possessed computer files that contained images of child pornography that were transported internationally and between states.
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Additionally, in a charge given a timeframe spanning from Aug. 3 to 9, it is alleged he “knowingly and recklessly disregarded the fact that aliens had come to, entered, and remained in the United States in violation of law, and transported, moved or attempted to transport or move aliens within the United States by means of transportation and otherwise in furtherance of such violation of law.”
Further, included within the indictment it is stated that if he’s convicted, he will forfeit any property “used or intended to be used in the distribution, receipt, or possession of child pornography,” including a Samsung phone he had in his possession on Aug. 9.
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Moore, 50, was arrested after an Amber Alert, originally issued by RCMP on Aug 8., was later extended into South Dakota.
The two children who were with him were found safe, and a spokesperson for the South Dakota Attorney General’s office said at the time arrangements were being made to “return them to their rightful custodian.”
Moore faces additional charges in Canada. On Aug. 9, he was charged with failing to report information to a registration centre within seven days after a change of main or secondary residence, as required by the Sex Offender Information Registration Act. He was said to have been living with a woman in Eastend, Sask. before they travelled to the U.S. And on Aug. 26, he was charged with breaching a weapons prohibition order after police found three crossbows in his home.
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Parole documents reveal history of sex offender Benjamin Martin Moore
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The man, who is still listed as an inmate at a Rapid City, S.D., jail has a substantial criminal history including previous convictions for sexual interference and possession of child pornography.
Historic documents show that the Parole Board of Canada once considered him a cunning, high-risk predator who’d had behavioural issues from an early age.
Those documents state he displayed a pattern of offending behaviour that involved travelling to small communities where he’d “establish friendships with vulnerable women in order to access their children.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not indicate if or when Moore would be returned to Canada to face charges in this country.
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