Sacramento pedophile suspect Benjamin Kendrick captured

SACRAMENTO, CA - A fugitive pedophile suspect from Sacramento County who prompted a nationwide alert has been taken into custody.

The Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force has been investigating Benjamin Dee Kendrick, 39, since late March as part of a probe into Internet child pornography sharing.  Kendrick was captured Thursday morning on Interstate 80 between Davis and Dixon following a short pursuit.

Detectives said they learned Kendrick was staying with a woman at an apartment complex in Elk Grove. They followed his green Volkswagen Jetta to Solano County where the California Highway Patrol pulled him over at the Kidwell Road offramp about 8:30 a.m. and arrested him without incident.

CHP Sgt. Andy Hill said they drew guns on the Jetta. Hill said Kendrick stepped out and said, "I'm the man you're looking for." 

Kendrick was questioned for several hours at the Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force headquarters at McClellan before being driven to Sacramento County Jail. There he was booked on $1,001,379 bond. 

There was a $1 million arrest warrant for Kendrick. He was wanted for solicitation to commit a felony and the possession of obscene matter depicting sexual conduct of a person under age 18.

Investigators say Kendrick had engaged in an online conversation with a woman in Brazil over several years in which they discussed sending her young daughter to Kendrick for sexual purposes. A warranted search at Kendrick's rented home on April 20 turned up more than 100 images of child pornography images and videos, said Det. Eric Pahlberg. Kendrick quit his job the next day and left his house.

Kendrick's first court appearance is scheduled for Monday, May 17, in Sacramento County Superior Court.

News10/KXTV