Buffalo, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today Jason M. Smith, 35, of Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
“This case vividly demonstrates the dangers faced by children in both the real and virtual worlds," said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “At the same time, let today’s conviction and likely lengthy jail sentence be a warning to sexual predators, whether online or on the street, that this Office will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott S. Allen, Jr., who is handling the case, stated that on April 11, 2014, the Lancaster Police Department executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence on Byron Avenue in Tonawanda. During the search, officers seized external hard drives. Subsequent examination by the Western New York Regional Forensic Laboratory determined that the defendant was producing child pornography at his residence.
The investigation determined that between 2010 and 2012, Smith coerced Victim 1, who was less than 12 years old, to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produced a visual depiction of the conduct. The defendant was a friend of Victim 1’s father.
In addition, between July 2011 and September 2013, Smith coerced Victim 2, a 15 year old girl he met on MeetMe.com, to engage in sexual intercourse and took pictures of the conduct.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen, the Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gerald J. Gill, Jr., and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Skretny.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
