Steven K. Smith

A 71-year-old Kennedy man is facing child pornography charges.

In October, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into the possession and promotion of child pornography in the town of Poland. Through a lengthy investigation, investigators identified Steven K. Smith as the person allegedly responsible for these crimes. On Thursday, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Smith’s Kennedy residence. A large quantity of Smith’s devices were seized and will later be forensically analyzed.

Smith was taken into custody in the residence and later transported to the Chautauqua County Jail. Smith was charged with three counts of promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child. He was turned over to Chautauqua County Jail custody for centralized arraignment and will answer for his charges in the Chautauqua County Supreme Court at a later date.

The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit for evidence processing following execution of the search warrant. Additional charges are anticipated, pending evidence analysis.

The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to protecting children from online exploitation and holding offenders accountable. Working closely with our local, state, and federal partners through the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office is utilizing advanced technology and any available investigative resources to identify, track, and arrest those who target children online. The message is clear – people who exploit children will be found and brought to justice.