Former school teacher Chris Bendann found guilty
on all child sex abuse charges
By Christian Olaniran, Adam Thompson
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Former Gilman School teacher Chris Bendann was found guilty on all charges in his child sex abuse trial on Wednesday.
The jury deliberated for a little more than 90 minutes on the child pornography, child exploitation and cyberstalking charges before announcing a verdict.
Bendann, who opted not to testify in his defense, was convicted of engaging in inappropriate conduct with a Gilman student who was 15 years old at the time.
Closing arguments
Early in the trial, Bendann said he would testify in his defense but chose not to before the trial resumed Wednesday morning.
During closing arguments, the prosecution tried to hammer home that Bendann was guilty while the defense stated that Bendann had a consensual relationship with his former student.
Prosecutors alleged that Bendann used his position as a teacher at Gilman School to form close relationships with his students, including a victim, calling him a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” and saying that “this is a side of Mr. Bendann the Gilman community did not see.”
Bendenn is accused of having sexual contact with a teen who was 14 or 15 years old and filming explicit videos of him.
Prosecutors said Bendann sent numerous messages to the victim and threatened to release the sensitive material if he didn’t respond to him.
Bendann’s defense attorney conceded his client cyberstalked the victim because he “lost his mind when (the victim) was leaving high school and moving on.”
However, the defense said Bendann was not guilty of the child pornography and sex exploitation of child charges and tried to poke holes in the prosecution’s arguments, stating the relationship between Bendann and the victim was consensual and that the videos shown to jurors were made after the victim turned 18.
The defense attorney said the prosecution was banking on a conviction based on the sensitive nature of the case.
Teacher charged with sexually abusing student, 9, in Prince George's County
Editor's Note: The details included in this article are disturbing and include references to child sexual abuse.
A Prince George’s County elementary school teacher is charged with sexually abusing his former student. The victim was just 9 years old when the alleged abuse began last year, and the man now under arrest is 44.
Court documents accuse Mark Edward Cobb, a teacher at Cooper Lane Elementary School, of contact with a 9-year-old girl he taught last year using text messages and through Roblox — an educational online game popular with children under 16 that has a chat feature.
Cobb allegedly asked for and received explicit images from the student, court documents said.
In one communication, Cobb is accused of asking the child “if he could taste her” which investigators categorize as asking the victim to engage in sex acts, according to court documents.
“I just can’t imagine how sick a person has to be to have this type of conversation — a very sexually explicit conversation — with a 9-year-old,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said. “With a 9-year-old. It’s outrageous.”
The communications occurred over a 14-month period, between June 2023 and August 2024, according to the documents and a police press release. Prince George's County police say they were informed about the allegations on Sunday after the girl told her mom about sending the photos.
Security camera images show police officers and detectives serving a search warrant Monday at an apartment on Governor Bridge Road in Bowie. It’s listed in court documents as Cobb’s home.
Court documents say investigators found over 100 computer files depicting child sexual abuse material on a hard drive. Some of those files depict children engaging in sex acts with adults, the documents said. Police said they are trying to identify the children in those videos and may involve the FBI.
Cobb faces 10 charges related to child sexual abuse material.
In addition, police found a black bag containing child’s underwear, individually packaged. Several appeared to be worn.
“I’m still sick to my stomach from having read the charging documents,” Prince George’s County Council Chair Jolene Ivey said. “It’s the worst thing. And for that little girl, for her parents, for her schoolmates to know that man was grooming this child and took advantage of her and get some kind or perverse pleasure out of the abuse — it’s disgusting.”
Unfortunately, it is not as infrequent as you might believe. Man's capacity for evil is astonishing!
Cobb's attorney waived a hearing Wednesday, meaning Cobb will be held without bond until a future hearing.
The principal of Cooper Lane Elementary School released a statement confirming the deeply unsettling information and offering counselors for students and families.
Police say they haven't discovered any other victims, but urge anyone with information to call detectives at 301-772-4930.
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