Tonawanda Man Sentenced For Production Of Child Pornography

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

Buffalo, N.Y.—Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today Jason M. Smith, 36, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of production of child pornography, was sentenced to 40 years in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott S. Allen, Jr., who handled 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. Between July 2011 and September 2013, Smith coerced another individual, Victim 2, a 15-year old girl he met on MeetMe.com, to engage in sexual intercourse and took pictures of the conduct.  

In addition, the investigation determined that the defendant sexually assault at least five more underage female victims. A forensic review of Smith’s electronics devices recovered over 1000 images of child pornography.   

The sentencing 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.