The gruff lead miner on Rigel XII who demands Harry Mudd's women in exchange for the lithium crystals the Enterprise needs.
Ben Childress runs a small lithium mining operation on Rigel XII with two other men. In Mudd's Women the crippled Enterprise needs replacement lithium crystals, and Childress uses that need as leverage, refusing to trade unless Kirk releases Harry Mudd and lets the miners take the women as wives.
Childress takes Eve McHuron to his quarters, but when the Venus drug wears off he calls her plain and turns on her. Kirk's placebo pill shows both of them that her charm does not depend on the drug, and Childress is left to reconsider what he wants in a partner. He was played by Gene Dynarski.