A Florida man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse materials using the internet.
Carl Stephen Smith, Jr. (34, Green Cove Springs) was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan on charges of distributing child sexual abuse materials using the internet.
According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline report in July 2022 from a popular online social media application that three child sexual abuse videos had been uploaded on the app by a user named "daddysir142." The Internet Protocol (IP) address used to upload these materials was traced to an internet service provider in Green Cove Springs, Florida.
On January 31, 2023, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), together with other law enforcement personnel, executed a federal search warrant at Smith’s residence. During an interview with law enforcement, Smith admitted that he communicated with purported minors on social media, that he used two different social media apps to search for child sexual abuse materials, and that he masturbated while viewing such materials.
During the search, HSI agents seized a cellular phone belonging to Smith. A forensic review of this device revealed that it contained at least 22 videos and 37 photos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The cellular phone contained online conversations between Smith and other users in which Smith distributed materials depicting the sexual abuse of young children.
"This sentencing reflects the severity of this predator’s reprehensible actions and the harm inflicted upon innocent victims by possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material," said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno.
Smith was also ordered to serve a 20-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and pay $12,000 in restitution to victims. This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Related Federal Cases
- Jacksonville Man Pleaded Guilty to Receiving Child Abuse Videos · Florida
- Lehigh Acres Man Gets 110 Years for Child Sex Abuse Videos · Florida
- Orlando Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Distributing Child Sex Abuse Material · Florida
- Largo Man Gets 4 Years for Dark Web Child Abuse Access · Florida
- Anthony Davis Stagnitta Pleads Guilty to Distributing Infant Abuse Video · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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