Raceland Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Children and Possession of Child Pornography

Johnny Smith, age 43, a resident of Raceland, Louisiana, pleaded guilty as charged yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to the sexual exploitation of children and possessing images depicting the sexual victimization of children under the age of 12 years old, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr.

According to the court documents, after a lengthy investigation, FBI special agents executed a search warrant on Smith’s home on July 23, 2013, during which they seized several items of electronic evidence. During a review of the evidence, agents found videos Smith recorded in which he engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a 3-year-old girl. Smith recorded the videos between about May 12, 2013 and June 23, 2013. Agents also found approximately seven videos of 17 images depicting children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct that Smith had downloaded and saved to his computer.

Smith faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years as to count one and a maximum of 20 years as to count two, followed by up to a life term of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. He can also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 14, 2004.

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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”

This case is being investigated by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg.