Two men are serving prison sentences for a trafficking scheme that sought to pair children with adults for sex in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, authorities say.
The tip to police originated from a social worker at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, on July 2, 2024.
The worker, a mandated reporter, called Trenton and Middletown, Pennsylvania police about comments made by a patient, Jereme Benyola, 53, of Sicklerville in Winslow Township.
Benyola alluded to children, two boys and two girls ages 2 to 9, who were on an app that offered them for sex at a Middletown apartment complex, Middletown police said in a recent statement.
That set in motion an investigation in Bucks County that led to a second man, Jonathan M. Mitchell, 39, of Middletown. He used the alias, Steve Carroll.
The investigation, by Middletown detectives Kassidy Groves and Kevin Platenecky, included examinations of both of the suspects’ phones and led to information that Benyola and Mitchell had previously communicated about the children via the app Telegram.
The detectives found Mitchell had sent child sexual abuse material videos to Benyola, who offered Mitchell money to meet the kids. Benyola then traveled to Middletown to meet Mitchell and the children.
LevittownNow.com previously reported that Benyola did so on June 21, 2024, but was unable to find the apartment.
Police did not say how he ended up at the Trenton hospital.
Middletown police did not elaborate on the children mentioned by Mitchell but said “prompt intervention” prevented the children from being exposed to sex trafficking.
“At no time were any children at risk,” a department spokesman said.
Detectives eventually arrested both men.
Police charged Mitchell with multiple sex crimes and he pleaded guilty in late 2024 to child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility. A judge sentenced him to 18 to 48 months in prison followed by 36 months of probation and sex offender registration. He remains in the state prison system.
Police also charged Benyola with multiple sex crimes and on Nov. 17, 2025, Benyola entered a no contest plea to attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, attempted indecent assault of a child and child pornography.
A judge sentenced him on Feb. 19 to seven to 15 years in prison, followed by 25 years of probation and registration as a sex offender.
Middletown police said Trenton police and Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office detectives assisted in the investigation.
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