Sheridan Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

A 33-year-old Sheridan man was recently sentenced to prison in Wyoming Federal Court for child pornography. According to information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming, U.S District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced Kyle Smith of Sheridan to 35 years in prison for the crimes of sexual exploitation of children and attempted sexual exploitation of a child. Johnson also imposed a $200 special assessment and ordered Smith to pay $3,206.67 in restitution.

According to court documents, the case originated when Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigators received Cybertips from both Snapchat and Instagram for accounts that were associated with the defendant. While ICAC was investigating these Cybertips, police in Mansfield, Texas, were separately investigating Snapchat accounts linked to the defendant for soliciting child pornography and sextortion. ICAC agents obtained search warrants and discovered that Smith was messaging numerous underage girls over Snapchat and other applications.

In the messages, Smith would threaten and manipulate the underage girls into producing child pornography for him. The case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation’s ICAC unit, the Mansfield, Texas Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.