CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — A Cumberland County man will spend over a decade in prison after being sentenced for sexually abusing an underage girl, the Cumberland County District Attorney's (DA) Office announced today.
A judge sentenced Benjamin Banks to 12-to-24 years in a state correctional facility, followed by a consecutive term of three years of probation.
The court also found Banks to be a sexually violent predator, meaning he will be required to register as a sex offender, undergo monthly counseling, notify the community about his status and undergo regular check-ins with the Pennsylvania State Police for the remainder of his lifetime.
Lower Allen Township police charged Banks with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse in April 2022 after the victim reported the abuse in March of the same year, according to police.
The victim told police she had been sexually assaulted by Banks, who was known to her. She provided details of the alleged assault and identified Banks as her assailant, police say.
In an interview with police, Banks allegedly admitted to performing the acts the victim described.
At sentencing, the victim’s family spoke on her behalf, the DA said. The family talked about the lifelong impact and trauma that Banks’s crimes will have on the victim, but also spoke to the child’s bravery and resiliency.
