Charleston man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for a child pornography crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Jason Lee Smith, 39, previously pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. After Smith is released from prison, he will be on federal supervised release for 15 years, and will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Smith admitted that on March 21, 2015, he possessed over 600 images and videos of minors engaged in sexual acts. Many of the images and videos depict prepubescent minors. The images and videos were contained on his personal computer and other media devices seized from two separate locations in Charleston. The investigation revealed that Smith was using a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download, receive, and distribute child pornography.

The West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Parkersburg Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

• Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews