Fort Jennings Man Sentenced for Child Exploitation

TOLEDO – Kirk Smith, 33, of Fort Jennings, Ohio was sentenced on Wednesday, August 16, to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after earlier pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor. Judge Knepp also ordered Smith to pay a $100 special assessment and be placed on supervised release for 10 years upon release from imprisonment. Additionally, Smith was ordered to pay $5,000 to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

According to court documents, in September of 2021, Smith engaged in online communication with undercover law enforcement and indicated he was sexually active with a minor child and had nude photos of the child. Shortly thereafter, Smith sent photos of a minor child that were sexually exploitive. A court authorized search warrant was executed at Smith’s residence where his cellphone was seized and found to contain the messages Smith exchanged with the undercover law enforcement online.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara Al-Sorghali.