Para-Educator Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on December 20, 2019, Bradley Smith, 67, of Jericho, Vermont, was sentenced in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, to serve 24 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography.  U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Smith to serve a seven (7) year term of supervised release, and to pay a $100 special assessment. 

According to court records and proceedings, the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (the ICAC) received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which reported that a file depicting child pornography had been uploaded to an Internet search engine.  Law enforcement investigated the CyberTip and determined that the image of child pornography had been uploaded from Smith’s residence in Jericho, Vermont.  On April 1, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence.  At that time, Smith disclosed, among other things, that he possessed child pornography on his computer, that he had been interested in child pornography for “decades,” and that he found images of child pornography to be sexually arousing.  A forensic search of Smith’s computer revealed that he possessed nearly 150 images of child pornography.  At sentencing, the Court found that some of the images in Smith’s collection of child pornography depicted sadistic and masochistic conduct.

Prior to execution of the search warrant and his arrest, Smith was employed as a para-educator in a first-grade classroom at the Union Memorial School in Colchester, Vermont.

U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan commended the efforts of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson handled the prosecution of Smith.  Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven L. Barth represented Smith. 

U.S. Attorney Nolan noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorney's 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.justice.gov/psc.