United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

HURST, TEXAS MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN FEDERAL
COURT TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE

U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas announced that Hurst, Texas resident, James Jett Smith, age 52, pled guilty on Friday, March 16, in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas to one count of interstate receipt of child pornography. Smith was arrested on October 24, 2006, by federal law enforcement officers of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after U.S. District Judge Charles Bleil issued a warrant for his arrest. Smith faces a maximum statutory sentence of not less than five years nor more than 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release. His sentencing date has been set for June 29, 2007.

In a two-count indictment returned in February 2007, Smith was charged with Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography. Smith plead guilty to one count of interstate receipt of child pornography, admitting that during February 2005, he downloaded images of child pornography including the two images alleged in Count One of the indictment.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

U.S. Attorney Roper commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille Sparks and Aisha Saleem.

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