A 32-year-old Grand Junction man who shot “pornographic” pictures of diapered toddlers and traded them for other child pornography has been arrested on federal charges of production and distribution of child pornography.
Joe Smith has been charged with transportation of child pornography, production of child pornography and conspiracy.
Smith faces up to 30 years in prison on the pornography production charge and a fine of up to $250,000.
The arrest was made in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations agents in Grand Junction and Portland, Maine. One of the agents posed as an insurance agent. The agents used age-regressed pictures of female agents to trade.
The Grand Junction agent posed as a father who wished to trade pornographic pictures of his daughter with “other happy dads” offering “P4P,” or personally
The agent exchanged numerous messages with Smith, who went by the user name “aceswild2007.” He mentioned that he had a 5-year-old daughter.
“I have a daughter that I am interested in starting a relationship with. Would like to hear about your experience and how it started,” Smith allegedly wrote.
In the conversations, Smith, a forklift operator for a concrete business, allegedly admitted on her birthday.
“I like anything under 18. I like young the best but I can still get my kicks off of older girls too…If we keep trading I have a lot of pictures you will like of young girls. I would like pictures of your daughter also,” Smith allegedly wrote to the agent posing as an insurance salesman.
In one message, Smith indicated photographs were great but “real is always better than pictures,” allegedly referring to molesting children.
Smith allegedly sent the undercover agent photographs of a toddler wearing a pull-up diaper as she was sleeping.
