NEW YORK, NY – An adult film star is in custody tonight after police raided his Manhattan apartment. He is now facing a litany of federal charges involving crimes against children.
The Department od Justice announced that Justin Heath Smith an adult film actor who uses the stage name “Austin Wolf” is now in custody.
Smith is charged with sending and receiving hundreds of videos of child imagery 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 lewd images of children via Telegram, Smith is also charged with possessing hundreds of additional videos containing child imagery in his Manhattan apartment.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Justin Heath Smith received and distributed hundreds of recordings containing child imagery, 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.”
Between March 24 and March 28, 2024, SMITH, using an anonymous Telegram account, exchanged hundreds of videos containing young children 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 imagery.
