SPRINGFIELD – A 38-year-old Easthampton man pleaded guilty to child pornography charges on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Springfield.
James J. Smith pleaded guilty to six counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of transportation of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston, Smith’s cell phone was recovered during a search of his home in January 2015 and found to contain 110 images of child pornography, including images of a known 8-year-old girl. Smith also emailed and engaged in Craigslist correspondence with multiple people in which they discussed the sexual abuse of children, according to prosecutors.
“Smith offered to distribute, and did distribute, child pornography involving children aged ten and younger with his online associates,” according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “Smith also offered to receive, and did receive, child pornography from an online associate.”
If the court accepts the plea agreement, Smith will be sentenced to between 120 months and 151 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of the Springfield branch office and invovled the FBI, State Police, Easthampton and Northampton police departments.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.