Father, Son Arrested Arrested In Texas After Massive Child Porn Discovery At Sacramento County Home
SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) — The discovery of a large collection of images depicting child pornography in a Sacramento County home led to the arrest of a father and son who moved to Texas one year ago, authorities said on Thursday.
Theodore Smith, 86, and James Smith, 62, both of Alto, Texas, are being held on charges including but not limited to lewd acts with a child under 14 while they await a transfer back to California.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, more than 400 illicit images were discovered stuffed in a big behind walls and sheetrock back in March by a person renovating the recently purchased home. Investigators believed the images were taken sometime between 1985-1995 and were left behind by the Smiths—who were the prior residents of the home.
On Oct. 13, the elder Smith was arrested at his Texas home in Cherokee County, while his son was arrested while on a trip back to California.
The elder Smith has been charged with 36 counts of lewd acts on a child and his bond has been set at $7 million.
So far, authorities say two of the victims in the photos have been identified.
Sacramento sheriff's detectives remain in Texas processing additional evidence seized during a search of the elder Smith's home, authorities said.
Several agencies including the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, and the Henderson County Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation.
