Former Hickman coach sentenced 12 years for child porn charges
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A former Hickman High School assistant soccer and basketball coach who pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography was sentenced on Friday.
Benjamin E. Melvin, 26, was sentenced to 12 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for four counts possessing child pornography. Melvin pleaded guilty to the charges on Nov. 21. He was given credit for 16 days served.
Melvin was arrested and charged in July 2021 after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent a tip to the sheriff's Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Court documents say the missing child clearinghouse received a complaint from Discord, an online messaging platform, in May. Discord reported that a user uploaded a video suspected to be child pornography. The Cyber Crimes Task Force said the video showed what appeared to be a boy between 12-14 years old engaging in sexual acts.
Investigators traced the activity to Melvin, who admitted to creating the Discord account and sharing illicit videos, according to court documents. Melvin's original charges included promotion of child pornography.
Melvin was immediately suspended from his job at Columbia Public Schools. A CPS spokeswoman said in November that he no longer works for the district.
