Texas city council candidate arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography
Fox News
A Granbury, Texas, city council candidate was arrested just a day before Election Day, after he was allegedly found to be in possession of child pornography.
FOX 4 in Dallas reported that Brad Benson, who is on the ballot for a seat on the Granbury City Council in Tuesday’s election faces two counts of possession of child pornography.
The Republican Party of Hood County posted on Facebook that Benson, a member of the Granbury Volunteer Fire Department, the deputy fire marshal and businessman was apprehended Monday morning.
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In the initial post, the county Republican Party said there was limited information available, but it was their understanding that Benson’s arrest may involve a serious sex-related offense.
“If these allegations are true, there is no way the party would ever condone such activity,” the post concluded.
A few hours later, the Republican Party of Hood County issued an updated statement, saying its original post was based on limited information.
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Since issuing its first statement, the party said, its executive committee spoke with law enforcement and confirmed information surrounding Benson’s arrest.
Ultimately, the Republican Party of Hood County unanimously withdrew its support for Benson.
“Crimes of this degree tear at the heart and soul of society, and we condemn them in the strongest terms,” the post read. “The Republican Party stands for conservative, family values and the protection of children. These heinous acts are antithetical to what Republicans stand for. It is time for the justice system to act and if Mr. Benson is proven guilty, the punishment needs to be swift and severe.”
The Hood County District Attorney’s Office told FOX 4 that the arrest occurred after investigators with the DA’s Child Exploitation Unit executed a search warrant at Benson’s residence.
The search, the DA’s office said, discovered child pornography in Benson’s possession.
“Multiple agencies assisted in executing this search warrant,” the DA’s office said. “However, because this case is still under active investigation, we cannot provide any additional comment at this time.”
Benson’s campaign did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital on the matter.