Austin Wolf Arrested By FBI For Sending “Hundreds” Of Child Porn Videos, Faces 30 Years In Prison
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It was only a matter of time at the rate he was going.
The Department of Justice in the Southern District of New York has charged gay porn star Austin Wolf (legally identified as Justin Heath Smith) with distribution and possession of child pornography, and their press release is below.
The DOJ alleges that Smith, who’s been starring in gay porn for over 12 years, sent and received “hundreds” of child porn videos via the Telegram app, and some of those videos depicted infants and children being raped. Back in April, Smith’s apartment was searched, and FBI agents seized an SD card containing the child porn videos, according to the DOJ.
If convicted on both counts (distribution and possession of child porn) Smith faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, and a maximum of 30 years in prison. Via DOJ:
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the arrest of JUSTIN HEATH SMITH, an adult film actor who uses the stage name “Austin Wolf.” SMITH is charged with sending and receiving hundreds of videos of child pornography via the Telegram application. Those videos depicted children as young as infants, including a video showing a 10-year-old child bound and raped. In addition to sharing child pornography via Telegram, SMITH is also charged with possessing hundreds of additional videos containing child pornography in his Manhattan apartment. SMITH will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky in Manhattan federal court.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Justin Heath Smith received and distributed hundreds of recordings containing child pornography, including a ghastly video showing a young child bound, beaten, and raped. Our investigation into Smith is ongoing, and we urge anyone with information about Smith’s conduct to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue those predators who victimize children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “I want to make it clear: those who distribute child sexual abuse images prey upon the most vulnerable in our society. Each image is a crime scene, leaving lasting scars on innocent victims. The FBI is relentless in our pursuit of these perpetrators. We will track them down, arrest them, and ensure they face justice for the harm they cause.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:
Between March 24 and March 28, 2024, SMITH, using an anonymous Telegram account, exchanged hundreds of videos containing child pornography with another individual whose phone was later seized and searched by the FBI pursuant to a search warrant.
An undercover FBI agent subsequently began a conversation with SMITH’s anonymous Telegram account. In the course of those conversations, SMITH revealed details that confirmed his identity.
On April 21, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at SMITH’s Manhattan apartment, which revealed an SD card with hundreds of videos containing child pornography.
SMITH, 43, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
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I wonder how young those "children" were?
There is a big difference between 7 and 17.
I see that the article says INFANTS! Infants are UNDER 1 year of age! I can't and won't try to imagine what that involved. Whose infant children were these?I went to school with a guy who had consensual sex with a girl that was 17 years and 10 months old. Two more months and she would have been legal. He admitted it immediately, made no attempt to deny it, so they let him off easy and he ONLY served 18 years in prison. When he got out, his wife had divorced him, and his two kids were long gone.
The guy was a jerk, so he probably benefitted from it.
Subway's Jared Fogle was raping children, both girls and boys, recording them, and sharing the videos. He was recorded saying "the younger the better" and one of the boys was just 4 years old. He got a 15 year sentence and is scheduled for release in 2029.Something else puzzling. If this guy was sending and receiving hundreds of child porn videos, WHY was he only charged with ONE COUNT of Child Porn?
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@lololulu19 said in Austin Wolf Arrested By FBI For Sending “Hundreds” Of Child Porn Videos, Faces 30 Years In Prison:
There is a big difference between 7 and 17.
That is very true, although both are considered "under age" if photographed in a nude or sexual situation. I prefer to use the term "under age porn" rather than "child porn" or "kiddie porn," because a 17 year old is just as illegal as someone much younger.
The mention of your friend who had sex with an "almost 18" person raises the complicated point that in many jurisdictions, the age of consent for sex can be lower than the age defining under age porn: In Canada, part of the US, and most of Europe, the age of consent is 16. (In Liechtenstein, it's 14!) Nevertheless, the age limit for porn is almost always 18. This means that one could have sex in Canada with a guy who's 16, but they couldn't take or possess a nude photograph of him.
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@lololulu19 said in Austin Wolf Arrested By FBI For Sending “Hundreds” Of Child Porn Videos, Faces 30 Years In Prison:
17 years and 10 months
We agree, infant is a million times worse. But thing about lines is: You must draw them somewhere.
No matter what line you draw, you will find a dysfunctional case of someone right on it. Even if you make it graded or multi-part type of line.
Some people use that fact to argue against all lines. I don't. I accept it as part of how lines work.
And if most people can agree on a good case to move a line slightly, or make it 2 part or whatever.....Fine.
@eobox91103 said in Austin Wolf Arrested By FBI For Sending “Hundreds” Of Child Porn Videos, Faces 30 Years In Prison:
I prefer to use the term "under age porn"
And thank you, I don't. I'll say "child porn".
Euphemisms won't wash, in world where people say "He's just a boy" of someone at 25.
17 is indeed a child. Late stage, on the line. But yes.
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@blablarg18 said in Austin Wolf Arrested By FBI For Sending “Hundreds” Of Child Porn Videos, Faces 30 Years In Prison:
17 is indeed a child.
We agree completely, when it comes to porn. Some people, though, when hearing the terms "child porn" or "kiddie porn" will think only of prepubescent persons. Such folk need to know that an adult-looking 17-year-old is still a minor and a having a nude photo of such carries a heavy sanction. This site has a well-written rule about this:
- If a torrent is posted from a studio known to use underage models or if the minimum age of a youthful appearing actor cannot be confirmed to be at least 18 years of age, we reserve the right to remove such content. If you are uploading torrents for videos or pictures for which the original producer or distributor is unknown, then the models must also look over 18 as well as be over 18 years old.
As you suggest, drawing age lines is tricky, and will never satisfy everyone. I recall a conversation with a colleague some year back who grew up in one of the US states where he said he could (legally) drive farm equipment around his farm at 14, drive a car on public roads at 16, vote and go into military service at 18, buy alcohol at 21, and rent a car at 25. One could argue for or against each of those lines, but they still need to be drawn.
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@eobox91103 I have seen hispanic males as young as 9 years old with full mustaches! I have also seen asian men who look like children!
I think the primary reason for the laws against underage sexuality is because they don't want girls getting pregnant - which is not only financially devastating and emotionally devastating but life threatening to the girl.
My advice is that nobody should have sex with girls until the girls are at least 30 years old! (and even then)
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@lololulu19 said in Austin Wolf Arrested By FBI For Sending “Hundreds” Of Child Porn Videos, Faces 30 Years In Prison:
I think the primary reason for the laws against underage sexuality is because they don't want girls getting pregnant
That's probably a large part of the reason--people in younger age groups are not fully aware of the consequences of their actions, and hence, in legal terms, can't give consent to having sex.
When in comes to underage porn, the problem is even greater: A 15-year-old enticed by financial payment to be nude or have sex in front of a camera will almost certainly not be aware of the damage this can do to him in later life--as they say, the internet is forever. There have been several "pornograhers," most infamously Sebastian Bleisch, who took shameful advantage of this. Surprisingly, Mr. Bleisch [in Germany] received a sentence of only two and half years. In Canada or the US, it would have been much longer.
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And thank you, I don't. I'll say "child porn".
Euphemisms won't wash, in world where people say "He's just a boy" of someone at 25.
17 is indeed a child. Late stage, on the line. But yes.I recall a conversation with a colleague some year back who grew up in one of the US states where he said he could (legally) drive farm equipment around his farm at 14, drive a car on public roads at 16, vote and go into military service at 18, buy alcohol at 21, and rent a car at 25. One could argue for or against each of those lines, but they still need to be drawn.
Change my mind mates, but as a neuro professional, I think the adulthood, obligations and responsabilities must be upped to 25 years.
Our brains before 25 years ARE NOT fully developed.
The system is only taking advange of 18-25 years """"adults"""" to get employees, soldiers, etc... because they're young and at some point stupid, manipulables (their brain, again is not fully developed yet). Nicaragua had its adulthood in 21 years but in 2023 they unfortunately downed to 18.
Respecting the sexual consent must be established as relative (allowed if the age is not so distant from each other) is not fair a 18 years kid go to prison because they had sex with a 17 years old kid... and also is not fair a 45 years old man having sex with a 18 years old kid... it is just insane.
Austin and other old men are sexual predators that had no consequences because the law allow it, because in fact, until your brain is not fully developed you're a kid.
Sexual experiences being kid aren't bad even, they aren't bad when you do it with your friends, boyfriends and/or cousins (yeah, it is so common that 1st sexual experience is with cousins) with your age or close... but... neurosciences (in general all science and technology) is by far more advanced than laws.
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@rainboyuc said in Austin Wolf Arrested By FBI For Sending “Hundreds” Of Child Porn Videos, Faces 30 Years In Prison:
Our brains before 25 years ARE NOT fully developed.
I agree with what you're saying, and that many institutions take advantage of "adults" 18+ who can be easily manipulated into doing almost anything. The Hitler Youth comes to mind, and even today's militaries have similar features.
It would, though, be a wrenching transformation for societies to move "adulthood" to 25, even though there's good reason to do so. If you have some references to studies on how this might be done, I'd be interested to read them.
My initial concern in this thread, as a legal professional, was that I didn't want people to assume that illegal "kiddie porn" or "child porn" only referred to prepubescents.
As you say, sexual experiences among rather young people is not uncommon (my first was at 11--and so was the other guy), but those occasions are almost never prosecuted unless coercion was involved. In fact, very often prosecutors will invoke what is often called a "Romeo and Juliet rule" that dismiss a statutory rape charge when the age difference between the parties is less than 2-3 years, and each party gave de facto consent to the degree that they could.
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@blablarg18 an infant is a million times worse, but the penalties for an infant and for someone 2 months short of being legal are the same
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This is NOT the Politics section.
If you want to make this political, make a thread in the P&D section.
