Nowata Man Convicted by Federal Jury of Sexual Abuse and Two Counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor

TULSA, Okla. – Today, a federal jury convicted Kaleb Scott Smith, 34, of Nowata and a member of the Osage Nation, of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country. 

In September 2024, a 14-year-old told a parent that Smith had sexually abused her. She also showed her parents a photo taken with Smith. The minor victim's parents testified that they contacted local law enforcement to report the incident, showed the photo to law enforcement, and provided the 14-year-old’s cellphone for search.  The photo presented to the jury showed the 14-year-old cuddling with Smith under a blanket. Smith’s arm is wrapped around the child, and his hand is resting on her upper thigh. 

When the minor victim testified, she stayed overnight with Smith’s 14-year-old daughter while Smith was celebrating his birthday in July 2024. The minor victim said that Smith flipped the waistband of her clothing and touched her butt. The next morning, Smith showed the 14-year-old a photo of himself naked in front of a mirror.

Witness testimony from Smith’s daughter and the minor victim described a second incident. They stated that Smith rented a hotel room at a casino with two beds. While in the room, both witnesses described lying on a bed to watch social media videos, and Smith laid with them. Smith was cuddling with the minor victim under a blanket and began rubbing his crotch on her back. The victim moved to the second bed. Smith followed her and rubbed his crotch against her butt. 

During a third incident, Smith’s daughter, the minor victim, and their 14-year-old friend stayed the night at his house in September 2024. All three girls testified about the evening. Smith was with the minor victim in his bedroom with the door closed. The friend heard giggling and opened the bedroom door. She saw Smith on top of the minor victim in bed, felt uncomfortable, and closed the door. Later that night, Smith asked the minor victim to come back to his bedroom. After going back to the bedroom, evidence and trial testimony showed that Smith sexually abused the minor. A few days after the abuse, the minor victim told her friend what happened. A DNA expert confirmed that Smith’s bodily fluids and the minor victim’s DNA were found together on his bed.

When law enforcement interviewed the friend about the incident in September, she further disclosed that Smith had been inappropriate with her on several occasions. When she was 13 years old, Smith would make comments about her body and slap her butt. After turning 14, Smith made comments about her while she was in a towel and touched her breast.   

Smith is a member of the Osage Nation and was taken into custody pending sentencing at a later date.

The Bartlesville Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Hockenbury and Matthew Cyran prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.