Wareham man sentenced in child sexual abuse charges

A Wareham man who admitted to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison, authorities announced.

Brandon Bendall, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to 90 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Bendall pleaded guilty in federal court on Feb. 4, 2026, to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. At the time of his plea, prosecutors said he faced a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. He was originally arrested in May 2025 and later indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025.

According to court documents, Bendall was a member of an online chat group where participants viewed and shared child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors said Bendall posted at least 17 videos containing child sexual abuse material while participating in the group.

A search of Bendall's residence and cellphone uncovered approximately 9,400 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Authorities said the material included images of children as young as infants being sexually assaulted.

Bendall was first charged on May 2, 2025, with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. Federal investigators alleged at the time that he was involved in an online group dedicated to viewing and sharing child sexual abuse material.

The FBI's Boston Division led the investigation with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police and the Wareham, Marion and East Bridgewater police departments. Bendall was arrested without incident.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that coordinates federal, state and local efforts to investigate child exploitation crimes, prosecute offenders and identify victims.