BENTONVILLE — A rural Pea Ridge man was sentenced to 60 years in prison after he admitted to engaging in sex acts with a 14-year-old girl via the Internet.
Timothy Randol Smith, 30, pleaded guilty Tuesday, July 17, to computer exploitation of a child, a Class B felony; and eight counts of distributing, possession or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, a Class C felony punishable with a prison sentence ranging from three to 10 years on each count.
The exploitation charge carried a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years in prison.
The plea came under an agreement Stuart Cearley, chief deputy prosecutor, reached with attorney Acacia Wright Stinnett.
Smith was arrested Oct. 15, 2009. Police in Wichita, Kan., sent a report to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office concerning a suspect living in the county who had sexually solicited a 14-yearold Wichita girl, according to court documents.
Smith met the teenage girl while playing the online interactive game “World of Warcraft.” The two later began speaking through MSN Messenger, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
The girl’s mother found sexually explicit conversations between the two. She also learned Smith had sent the girl nude photographs of himself and also video clips of himself performing a sex act, according to court documents.
According to court documents, the mother knew Smith as someone who helped her daughter with “World of Warcraft.” She told her daughter to stop talking with Smith after she learned they were also communicating via MSN Messenger.
The mother said Smith had discussed with her daughter about meeting in person, according to the affidavit.
The girl told police she met Smith in February 2009 while playing “World of Warcraft.” The girl said she did not know how the conversations left the game, and she reported Smith sent her sexually explicit photographs of himself, according to court documents. The girl said Smith asked her to undress once in front of a webcam and she did, according to court documents.
Smith was arrested, and he admitted engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the girl while online, according to court documents.
Circuit Judge Jon Comstock accepted the plea agreement and Smith’s guilty pleas.
Smith was sentenced to 20 years in prison for computer exploitation and 10 years each for four counts of the child porn charges.
The sentences will be served consecutively - a total of 60 years. He must serve at least 10 years before being eligible for parole. He was given a 10-year suspended sentence on the remaining child porn counts.
He was ordered not to have any contact with the girl or any unsupervised contact with any minors and must pay $1,170 in court costs.
Community, Pages 7 on 07/25/2012