Fort Knox Soldier Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Porn by Parent, Transportation and Possession of Child Porn

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Fort Knox, Kentucky soldier pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings, to five counts of production of child pornography by a parent, 10 counts of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.

Andrew Paul Schmidt, 40, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on December 4, 2017.  A federal grand jury indicted Schmidt on six counts on December 20, 2017, and returned a superseding indictment with additional charges on March 21, 2018.   

According to the criminal complaint, on December 4, 2017, Schmidt utilized KiK messenger to communicate with an individual online, which unbeknownst to Schmidt, was an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent. During the course of the online conversation, Schmidt sent the undercover agent images of his five-year-old daughter.

Schmidt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could be sentenced up to 370 years in prison. Further, Schmidt faces a minimum term of 5 years supervised release up to a maximum term of supervised release for life, and a $4 million fine.  Sentencing is scheduled for January 17, 2019, at 10 AM in Louisville before Judge Jennings.   

Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Judd and United States Army Captain Greta L. Mattessich, Special Assistant United States Attorney, are prosecuting the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.

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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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.