Fayetteville man gets 8 years for child-porn possession

— A 60-year-old Fayetteville man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for downloading child pornography from the Internet, authorities said.

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas Conner Eldridge said in a statement that Stephen Charles Smith was also ordered to pay $5,000 in fines and serve a 20-year term of supervised release and after his prison time, during which he is not eligible for parole.

“Victimizing innocent children is horrendous and inexcusable," Eldridge said in the statement. "Every time a video or image involving sexual abuse of children is downloaded or viewed, those children are re-victimized. We will continue to aggressively prosecute cases such as this and hold the perpetrators of these crimes accountable.”

Smith was arrested after federal officials investigating the trade and distribution of child pornography in Northwest Arkansas identified him as a possible suspect.

A search warrant later revealed computers in his home containing more than 25 videos of the illicit material, including many involving "minors under the age of 12 engaged in sadistic and masochistic conduct," the statement said.

Smith admitted to police he had downloaded and possessed the videos, authorities said. He pleaded guilty to receipt of images of child pornography in September, court records show.

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