Man Who Viewed Child Pornography In Fresno Library Pleads Guilty To Receipt Of Child Pornography

FRESNO, Calif. —Victor Duane Smith, 59, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, in July 2013, law enforcement began tracking an individual who was using the Fresno County Public Library’s public wireless system to view child pornography through a file-sharing program. Investigators were able to match the computer Smith was using to the computer that had used the library’s system and watched him in the library while he used the program. Smith later confessed to the offense.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Tierney is prosecuting the case.

Smith is in currently in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Anthony W. Ishii on June 2, 2014. Smith faces a possible sentence of five to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the "resources" tab for information about Internet safety education.