Justin Heath Smith, known by his stage name Austin Wolf, has been arrested and charged with receiving and distributing child pornography. The charges were announced by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, and the FBI on Friday, according to Newsweek.
According to the criminal complaint, Smith allegedly sent and received hundreds of videos and images containing child pornography through an anonymous Telegram account over a four-day period in March. The investigation was initiated after authorities seized a phone belonging to another individual involved in the illegal activity, which led them to Smith.
The complaint alleges that Smith shared and received explicit content, including a video depicting the sexual assault of a 10-year-old boy. Smith faces serious charges for his alleged involvement in the distribution and receipt of child pornography, as per the news report.
The FBI and the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York are handling the investigation and prosecution. Smith's arrest serves as a reminder of the seriousness of child pornography offences and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat this type of criminal activity.
"The video shows a child of approximately 10 years old bound, beaten, and raped by an adult man," the criminal complaint read.
"I want to make it clear: those who distribute child sexual abuse images prey upon the most vulnerable in our society," FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said in a press release.
"Each image is a crime scene, leaving lasting scars on innocent victims."
If convicted, Smith faces up to 30 years in jail for both offences.
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