The trial of 40-year-old Christopher Bendann got underway in earnest Friday. The former Gilman School history teacher is facing nine counts, including sexual extortion of a minor, child pornography and cyberstalking. The government opened by painting the Bendann as a predator. He was the minor victim’s 8th grade history teacher and advisor at Gilman, and he used that position of trust to groom, sexually abuse, secretly record, and later extort the boy even after he left for college, prosecutors told the jury.
IWF shows 2025 was the worst year on record for online child sexual abuse material
Analysts have also seen a “frightening” 26,362% rise in photo-realistic AI videos of child sexual abuse, often including real and recognizable child victims. In 2025,...
