Philadelphia Man Charged with Possessing Child Pornography
Isaiah Smith, 18, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been arrested and charged with one count of possession of child pornography, according to a recent indictment.
The indictment alleges that Smith possessed visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including videos that he recorded while sexually abusing two young children, a six-year-old girl and a nonverbal three-year-old boy, on multiple occasions over more than a year.
The child sexual abuse material was discovered after a friend of the defendant walked in on Smith orally raping one of the child victims. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of five years up to lifetime supervised release, mandatory financial penalties, and mandatory registration as a sex offender under SORNA and Megan’s Law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Related Federal Cases
- Kaitlin Plascjak, Child Pornography Distribution, Pennsylvania 2016 · Pennsylvania
- Michael J. Costello, Child Pornography Distribution, Pennsylvania 2014 · Kansas
- Ian Matthew Ahenger, Possession of Child Pornography, Pennsylvania 2024 · Texas
- Sean J. Barner, Child Pornography Possession, Pennsylvania 2023 · Pennsylvania
- James Horton, Child Pornography Distribution, Pennsylvania 2024 · Pennsylvania
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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