A man from New Hartford, Iowa, has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography. Robert Jene Smith, aged 57, admitted to obtaining and sharing explicit images and videos of minors from 2004 until December 2021. During a search of his home in December 2021, authorities discovered more than 7,500 images and over 100 videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Smith entered a guilty plea on May 20, 2024, to one count of receipt of child pornography. United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand handed down the sentence on December 17, 2024, in Cedar Rapids. In addition to the prison term of 136 months, Smith was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $32,000 in restitution to ten victims identified in the case. He must also pay $15,100 in special assessments and will serve five years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The federal system does not allow for parole.
The case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse. This effort involves collaboration among federal, state, and local resources to apprehend offenders and rescue victims.
Smith remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending transfer to a federal prison. The investigation involved the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Urbandale Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert prosecuted the case.