JACKSON, Tenn. (WBBJ) - A 30-year-old former Jackson resident has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of said conduct.
Benjamin Franklin Harden befriended an 11-year-old boy while playing the video game “Call of Duty” in 2025. Communication began through text messages, phone calls and video chats after the two exchanged phone numbers. Harden asked the boy to send him nude photos and the two also engaged in video chats where they performed sexual acts on themselves.
Harden told the minor to delete all traces of their communication but the minor’s mother found their text messages, along with photos, and called the police. Investigators determined that Harden was living in Madison County at the time and turned the case over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jackson.
Agents with the FBI found that Harden had previously been convicted of sexual battery in Hamilton County in 2016 and was required to register as a sex offender by Tennessee law.
In June 2025, FBI agents discovered that Harden was working in Georgia and located him at his place of employment where he admitted to engaging in an illegal relationship with the 11-year-old boy.
Harden pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison as well as five years of supervised release. Harden must also register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Because sexual predators will use any means to gain access to minors, parents should be vigilant in monitoring online gaming, social media, and cellphone activities for threats to their children. Let this sentence serve notice to those who entice, exploit, and victimize minor children: Despite efforts to avoid detection, you cannot hide - we will track you down, and you will be held accountable for such disturbing and predatory criminal conduct.”
“Protecting children is a commitment we owe every child, every family, and every community,” said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This sentence is a powerful statement that crimes against children will be met with the full force of the law, and those who prey on the most vulnerable must answer for their actions. The FBI and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to investigate these crimes, stand with victims and survivors, and hold offenders accountable.”
