A Fort Campbell soldier has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for the attempted online enticement of three juveniles.
Jasper Smith was given the sentence by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas Russell in Paducah Federal Court. In all, Smith pleaded guilty to nine charges — all felonies. Four of the charges are for the online enticement of a minor and three are for the possession or production of child pornography.
The federal complaint said the incidents happened over a four-month period in 2016 while Smith was stationed at Fort Campbell. Prosecutors said a 13-year-old juvenile Smith was soliciting online was in fact an undercover police officer. The federal indictment said Smith also solicited a second juvenile female and a juvenile male.
Police said Smith rented a motel room where a meeting was supposed to take place. After he was arrested, police said they also found child porn pictures and videos on Smith’s computer.
Smith, who pled guilty to the charges in July, will also be subject to supervised release for the rest of his life once he serves his prison sentence. He must also register as a sex offender.
