Southeast Minnesota Sex Offender Sentenced for Child Porn Conviction

Austin, MN (KROC-AM News)- A southeast Minnesota sex offender has been sentenced for a conviction in a child pornography case. 

Read More: Convicted Southeast Minnesota Sex Offender Admits to Child Porn Charge 

The sentencing follows a plea agreement that was finalized in Mower County Court late last year. Authorities arrested the Austin man in December of 2023 on a warrant. 

Court records indicate the arrest warrant for 60-year-old Eric Robert Smith was issued when he was found in possession of a cell phone allegedly containing sexual abuse material, which is a violation of the terms of his supervised release. 

Smith was then charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography. 

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Child Pornography Conviction Sends Austin, MN Sex Offender to Prison

The criminal complaint says and investigators found 19 files containing child sexual abuse material in his cell phone, including five files depicting child victims previously identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 

The charges described the various files as containing photos and videos of children as young as 6 years old being sexually abused by adults. 

Smith pleaded guilty in November to a single count of possession of pornographic work by a registered predatory offender in exchange for the dismissal of the other 19 charges. 

On Thursday Smith was sentenced to 105 months in prison. He was given credit for 391 days already spent behind bars. 

Smith is also ordered to be on supervised release after he completes his nearly nine-year prison term. 

Court records say Smith was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and second-degree criminal sexual conduct in separate cases in Fillmore County in 2005.

His criminal history also includes a conviction for felony first-degree property damage in a Fillmore County burglary case in 2023.

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