Nathaniel Smith Pleads Guilty to Luring 13-Year-Old Online

Nathaniel Smith, 29, of Aurora, Colorado, stood silent and stone-faced in a Hartford federal courtroom as he admitted to preying on a 13-year-old girl through encrypted messaging and video chat platforms. Smith pleaded guilty today to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, a crime that marks the culmination of a digital trail of manipulation and grooming uncovered by federal investigators.

According to court documents, Smith used his cell phone and internet-based services—including Kik and Skype—as hunting tools, initiating contact with the underage victim in January 2016. Over time, he escalated the conversations, leveraging anonymity and deception to coerce the girl into engaging in sexual activity. The chats, later recovered by forensic analysts, reveal a calculated effort to exploit the girl’s vulnerability and isolate her from protective oversight.

Smith hasn’t seen freedom since January 25, 2016, when he was arrested in New London, Connecticut, on related state charges. His cross-state movement raised red flags, triggering a multi-agency probe that fast-tracked the case into federal jurisdiction. Authorities say Smith traveled with intent—armed with devices loaded with illicit communications—and was intercepted before he could carry out further harm.

U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea, presiding over the case, set sentencing for April 7, 2017. Smith now faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison, with the possibility of life behind bars. Prosecutors emphasized the severity of his actions, noting that digital enticement is not a victimless or abstract crime—it shatters lives and preys on the most defenseless.

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with critical support from the New London Police Department and the Connecticut State Police. Agents combed through digital footprints, tracing IP addresses, decrypting messages, and reconstructing timelines that sealed Smith’s fate long before he entered his guilty plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford, who is prosecuting the case, said the conviction sends a clear message: predators who use technology to target children will be hunted down and held accountable. ‘This wasn’t just a crime online,’ Gifford stated. ‘This was a real child, a real threat, and now, real consequences.’