Stonington Man Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charge: Feds

STONINGTON, CT — A Stonington man has pleaded guilty to soliciting child pornography, according to a statement from federal prosecutors. Matthew X. Smith, 28, faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 5 years and a maximum term of 20 years.

According to prosecutors, Smith made contact on the Kik social media application with an FBI Online Covert Employee (“OCE”) who was posing as a 14-year-old girl.

Smith sent sexually explicit messages to the OCE, requested the OCE send him sexually explicit pictures, and discussed meeting the OCE to engage in sexual conduct, according to prosecutors.

The Kik communication continued in August 2021, and investigators also determined that Smith, using a different Kik user account, had engaged in sexually explicit exchanges with the OCE in 2020. Smith and the OCE agreed to meet on Aug. 18, prosecutors said.

Smith was arrested on that date by New London police on state charges after he arrived at the meeting location. He was charged by federal criminal complaint in February 2022.

He is scheduled for sentencing April 4. Smith is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.