Woodstock Man Found Guilty Of Child Enticement, Invasion Of Privacy

WOODSTOCK, GA — A Woodstock man was sentenced to 70 years for several charges, including child molestation.

On May 2, Collin Anthony Smerk, 52, of Woodstock, was sentenced after a Cherokee County jury found him guilty on March 24, of child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes, sexual exploitation of children, and invasion of privacy.

Superior Court Judge Tony Baker sentenced Smerk on May 2, to 70 years, with the first 50 years to be served in confinement and the remainder to be served on probation. Upon his release from prison, Smerk may have no contact with the victim, is banned from Cherokee County, and must adhere to sex offender special conditions.

Charges stem from allegations that Smerk molested a 15-year-old girl when she was visiting a Cherokee County home in 2017. The child did not disclose the abuse until February 2020, when she told law enforcement specifics of the abuse and was concerned that she had been secretly videotaped.

Cherokee Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant of the home on Feb. 14, 2020, removing a large amount of digital evidence, including computers, electronics, and digital storage devices. During the search, deputies also found adult toys that matched items the victim had described to law enforcement.

While conducting the investigation, detectives found child pornography on Smerk's electronics. Smerk had videos of young children being sexually assaulted by adults. The electronics also had video of visitors taking showers and using a bathroom in Smerk’s home. The people in the videos were unaware a camera was in the bathroom.

Photos taken during the search warrant showed a hidden digital camera in the basement bathroom. The camera was later taken from the passenger seat of Smerk’s car, with the memory card removed.

“As we prosecuted this case, it became more and more apparent that Collin Smerk’s sexual deviance manifested itself in many ways and escalated over time,” said Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Katie Gropper, of the Special Victims Unit, who prosecuted this case on behalf of the state. “His pornography consumption had themes of child sexual abuse and voyeurism that eventually became his playbook. With little regard for who he hurt, Mr. Smerk violated the privacy of visitors in his home and he manipulated and sexually violated a vulnerable child in order to satisfy his own selfish desires.”

After the jury issued the guilty verdict, the victim provided a statement describing the effect his actions have had on her life and her hope that, through this conviction, she will no longer live in fear of Smerk.

“This defendant betrayed and used a child for his own sick pleasure. Then, when faced with a trial, he further traumatized the victim who had to take the stand and testify about his perverse behavior,” District Attorney Shannon Wallace said. “This sentence protects other innocent children, punishes this defendant for his actions, and provides justice for the victim in this case.”