An Elizabethtown man is facing 10 years in prison after accepting a plea deal for multiple counts of distribution of child pornography.
David Manion Smith, 39, entered a guilty plea Tuesday in Hardin Circuit Court.
Smith accepted the commonwealth’s offer to plead guilty to six charges of distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. The offer includes a concurrent sentence of five years for the first three charges to run consecutively with a concurrent sentence of five years for the second three charges for a total of 10 years to serve in prison.
The plea came during a scheduled pre-trial conference for Smith. During the hearing, Circuit Judge John Simcoe informed Smith the offer also included a 20% parole eligibility but the eligibility is not guaranteed.
According to his arrest citation, Smith was arrested August 25, 2022, after an undercover online investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children, a division of the Department of Justice.
A search of Smith’s residence by the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch discovered images uploaded by Smith.
During an interview with Smith, troopers said he admitted to viewing, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse images online.
Smith was released August 26, 2022, on a $10,000 cash bond from the Hardin County Detention Center.
A sentencing hearing for Smith is scheduled for 10 a.m. April 9, and Simcoe informed Smith he would also need to complete a sexual offender treatment assessment.
Source: NE
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