Isaiah Smith, a 19-year-old from Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in federal court. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Mary Kay Costello, according to an announcement by United States Attorney David Metcalf.
According to the indictment and Smith's own admissions, he maintained a collection of child pornography that included images and videos involving prepubescent minors. Among this material were videos that Smith recorded himself while sexually abusing two children: a six-year-old girl and a nonverbal three-year-old boy. These acts occurred on multiple occasions. Authorities discovered the abuse after one of Smith’s friends walked in on him orally raping one of the victims.
Smith is scheduled for sentencing on May 6. He faces up to 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. If convicted, he will also be subject to lifetime supervised release, financial penalties, and mandatory registration as a sex offender under SORNA and Megan’s Law.
The case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to identify offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at projectSafeChildhood.gov.
The FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Victims Unit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella is prosecuting.
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