Victor Duane Smith, Child Pornography, California 2013

FRESNO, Calif. — In a disturbing case of child exploitation, Victor Duane Smith, 59, of Fresno, was sentenced to eight years in prison by Judge Anthony W. Ishii, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receiving child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

Smith was also ordered to pay $5,000 to a child shown in five images he received.

According to court documents, in July 2013, law enforcement began tracking an individual who was using the Fresno County Public Library’s public wireless system to view child pornography through a file-sharing program. Investigators were able to watch Smith in the library while he used the program. Smith later confessed to the offense.

"The sentence is a stern reminder about the consequences facing those who use the Internet to sexually exploit innocent children," said Mike Prado, resident agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Fresno. "The fact this defendant was accessing child pornography in a public place where young people and their families congregate makes his actions even more disturbing. HSI will continue to work with its law enforcement partners here in the Fresno area and across the country to target child sexual predators who mistakenly believe they can act with impunity in cyberspace."

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Tierney is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Defendant: Victor Duane Smith

Criminal Charges: Receiving child pornography

City and State: Fresno, California

Exact Date: July 2013 (investigation began)

Sentence or Outcome: Eight years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release

Dollar Amounts: $5,000 (payment to a child)

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