BENTONVILLE -- A Bella Vista man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday for possessing child pornography.
Jeffrey Owen Smith, 43, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of distributing, possession or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, a Class C felony. The plea came under an agreement Shane Wilkinson, Smith's attorney, reached with Stuart Cearley, chief deputy prosecutor.
Cearley agreed to dismiss 10 other counts as part of the plea agreement.
Smith was arrested Oct. 12, 2015.
The Cyber Crime Division of the Benton County Sheriff's Office began an investigation in.
Detectives searched the home Sept. 1, 2015.
Smith denied viewing child pornography when questioned by detectives, according to the affidavit. He later admitted to watching child pornography and then deleting the material. Smith told detectives there would be search terms related to child pornography on his computer and told detectives he had been viewing child pornography for about six months.
Multiple child pornographic videos and photographs were found on Smith's computer.
Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green accepted the plea agreement and Smith's guilty pleas.
Smith was sentenced to 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. He must abide by a suspended sentence agreement for seven years after his release from prison.
He will be required to register as a sex offender and must pay $1,170 in court costs.
NW News on 12/06/2016