Riverhead, NY - July 2, 2018 - Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini today announced the sentencing of a Florida man for sexual conduct involving three young children who were in his care in Suffolk County between 2009 and 2014.
“This defendant used his position of trust and guardianship to victimize young children for his own sick sexual gratification,” District Attorney Sini said. “While there is no amount of jail time that can alleviate the trauma he caused his victims, today’s sentence is a significant step toward holding him accountable for his depraved actions and preventing more children from having to suffer at the hands of this individual.”
Benjamin Fielman, 27, of Century, Fla., was sentenced by Suffolk County Court Justice Barbara Kahn to 18 years in prison followed by 20 years of post-release supervision. He is currently serving a 10-year sentence of imprisonment in Florida, where he is registered as a Sexual Predator, after pleading guilty to felony sex crimes involving children in June 2017. The two sentences will run concurrently.
Fielman is convicted of sexually abusing and taking sexually explicit photos and videos of three unrelated children between the ages of 7 and 11 years old. He was employed as a babysitter for the children while he was living in Commack during that time.
Fielman was indicted by a Suffolk County Grand Jury on May 22, 2015 on two counts of Course of Sexual Conduct against a Child in the First Degree; two counts of Course of Sexual Conduct against a Child in the Second Degree; 11 counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child as a Sexually Motivated Felony; 11 counts of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance as a Sexually Motivated Felony; and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He pleaded guilty to all 27 counts on the indictment on May 24, 2018.
In April 2014, the Suffolk County Police Department was contacted by Florida law enforcement officials after they arrested Fielman on charges related to sexual abuse of a child. During the Florida investigation, authorities found Fielman to be in possession of child pornography and determined that it originated in Suffolk County. Florida authorities contacted the Suffolk County Police Department’s Computer Crimes Unit, which investigated the origin of the images and videos through the files’ metadata and was able to identify the victims.
On March 8, 2018, Fielman was extradited from Florida by detectives from the Suffolk County Police Fugitive Squad. He was returned to Suffolk County to face the charges against him in New York.
“This conviction was the result of excellent investigative work by the Suffolk County Police Department in collaboration with the District Attorney’s Office and law enforcement officials in Florida,” District Attorney Sini said. “The District Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to prosecute perpetrators of sex crimes to the fullest extent of the law and to fight for justice on behalf of victims and their families.”
“The Suffolk County Police Department will continue to work with our various law enforcement partners to protect our region’s children and get sexual predators off our streets,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said. “I applaud our Computer Crimes Unit for working this case thoroughly in order to uncover the evidence that was needed to successfully prosecute this individual. I’d also like to thank the District Attorney’s Office for ensuring that this individual will no longer be a threat to other innocent victims for years to come.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Cortes, of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau.