Convicted sex offender sentenced Wednesday
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POLSON — On Wednesday, District Judge C.B McNeil sentenced a convicted Tier II sex offender to 100 years in Montana Sate Prison with 50 years suspended, after the defendant was convicted of sexual assault and sexual intercourse without consent in May.
According to the affidavit, Wesley William Benn, 34, of Pablo was entrusted to baby-sit a young minor occasionally from 2005-2007. The boy’s biological mother allegedly left the boy in Benn’s care while she played pool in a pool league.
The boy, who was 6 and 7 at that time, was eventually placed in foster care in 2007.
The foster mother became concerned after observing interaction between the child and other boys in her home.
The boy’s teachers also informed her of the child’s activities at school. Apparently, the minor was sculpting male genitalia out of clay and showing it to other children.When asked about his behavior, the boy began to cry and said that Benn had had sexual intercourse with him several times beginning when he was 6 years old.
The foster mother went to the authorities with this information and the Lake County Sheriff Department began an investigation.
In a forensic sexual abuse interview with Dr. Cindy Miller, the state discovered that the sexual abuse stemmed from 2005 and happened in an upstairs room of the Benns' home in Pablo until 2007.
According to the affidavit, the minor said the room was filled with supplies and the bed smelled of alcohol. He also indicated that there were “little people” in the room who were dead. Explaining that Benn had killed the little people, the boy told investigators that they were in the room to “say things.”
Miller cited that the child minimized the events instead of exaggerated them, making it unlikely that the child was seeking attention.
Benn weighs 450 pounds and public defender Noel Larivee argued that it was impossible for him to have sex with the child because of his size.
Benn is to complete phase I and phase II of the sexual offender treatment program and is not eligible for parole until he has served 25 years in prison.
