Local

Child Sex Offender Sean-Michael Smith Gets 10 Years in Prison for Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials

Sean-Michael Smith sentenced to 10 years for accessing child sexual abuse materials online.

September 30, 2025, 5:05 PM

Close-up of a child's face partially obscured by their arm

A close-up black and white image shows a child's face partially hidden by their arm, conveying a sense of distress or shyness. By MDL.

Executive Summary

Sean-Michael Smith, a registered child sex offender, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for accessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).

The sentence also includes a 15-year term of supervised release and the forfeiture of the electronic device used to access the CSAM.

Smith’s current conviction and sentencing resulted from violating the terms of his supervised release from a prior 2014 federal conviction related to child sexual exploitation.

Laws and Precedent

Sean-Michael Smith’s sentence is based on a federal conviction for accessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) via the internet, which is prosecuted under federal statutes designed to combat child sexual exploitation. Furthermore, the sentencing includes penalties for violating the terms of his supervised release from a previous federal conviction, highlighting the strict enforcement of post-imprisonment monitoring for such offenses under federal law.

Jacksonville, Florida – Sean-Michael Smith, 36, a registered child sex offender, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for accessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) via the internet. Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard handed down the sentence on September 30, 2025, in a case that also includes a 15-year term of supervised release and the forfeiture of his computer device. The sentencing comes after Smith violated the terms of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction related to child sexual exploitation.

Background and Prior Conviction

Smith’s criminal history includes a 2014 federal conviction for distributing videos and photos depicting children being sexually abused. Following his release from federal prison, he was under supervised release, during which he admitted to drawing sketches of nude children and repeatedly accessing the internet, in violation of his release conditions.

Investigation and Evidence

The current investigation began on December 10, 2024, when U.S. Probation Officers conducted a search of Smith’s Jacksonville residence. During an interview, Smith confessed to accessing CSAM using the internet in August, September, and December of 2024, specifying the electronic device he used.

Officers seized the identified device and its internal computer chip, which were subsequently forwarded to the FBI for forensic analysis. On February 18, 2025, the FBI successfully extracted data from the chip, revealing that the device had been used by Smith to access at least 35 photos depicting young children being sexually abused.

Prosecution Details

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. It falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse by marshaling federal, state, and local resources to apprehend offenders and seek justice for victims.

Key Takeaways

Smith’s sentencing underscores the ongoing federal efforts to prosecute individuals who exploit children and to enforce the terms of supervised release for convicted child sex offenders, reinforcing the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting vulnerable populations.