BELLINGHAM - A Level III sex offender has moved to a new address near the southern city limits.
Benjamin Gardiner Benton, 27, is now living in the 1600 block of Old Samish Road.
Benton raped an 8-year-old girl "dozens of times" when he was 14 years old, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. Within two weeks of his release from juvenile detention for that offense, he raped another 13-year-old girl he knew.
The 1600 block of Old Samish Road is much longer than most blocks; Benton's home is in a backwoods area, said Matt Lathrop, administrative coordinator of the county's sex offender program. Benton's address is not adjacent to the Childlife Montessori School, as some online mapping software suggests.
Level III sex offenders are considered to be at high risk to reoffend.
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