Stonington Man Sentenced For Child Exploitation Crime: Feds

STONINGTON, CT — A Stonington man has been sentenced to five years in prison for child exploitation crimes, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery. Matthew X. Smith, 29, will also serve five years of supervised release.

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.

In August 2021, 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 and investigators 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, 2021, 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 pleaded guilty to soliciting child pornography Jan. 10, 2023.