Miamisburg man pleads guilty to coercing minors online

DAYTON – Steven Shawn Smith, 48, of Miamisburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to attempting to coerce a minor while registered as a sex offender.

Parties involved in Smith’s case have recommended a sentence of 25 years in prison.

According to his plea, Smith created nine online dating profiles with the names “Sammy” and “Shaw.” From April 2020 through October 2020, Smith communicated with an undercover FBI agent posing as a minor. Smith requested nude images from the undercover agent on multiple occasions. The defendant also sent images of his nude genitalia to the undercover agent.

In one communication, when the undercover agent refused to send nude photos, Smith said, “I know that you don’t want to send me those pictures but I was hoping that you would understand just how much it would mean to me and how close it would bring us.”

Court documents detail that Smith discussed meeting with the undercover agent to engage in sexually explicit conduct and sent the officer $75 via Cash App so that the purported minor could buy a one-way bus ticket to Ohio.

In addition to communicating with the undercover agent, Smith messaged more than 170 other online users who identified themselves as minors. He received sexually explicit images from at least 21 of the purported minors and sent nude images of himself to at least 70 users.

Smith was convicted in 1994 in Athens County Common Pleas Court of one count of rape of a child, and as a result, is required to register as a sex offender.

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Laura I. Clemmens and Assistant United States Attorney Rob Painter are representing the United States in this case.

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