ISLE OF WIGHT CO., Va. (WAVY) – Investigators with the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office have been working on a case that led to the arrest of a Pennsylvania man.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Bedford County Virginia Sheriff’s Office were also involved in the investigation into 57-year-old Samuel Smith.
Smith is accused of using social media platforms and chat rooms to engage in sexual conversations with a person he thought was under the age of 15. The Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office says Smith sent nude pictures to this person. Smith then traveled from Pennsylvania to Isle of Wight County to meet the “minor” to engage in a sexual act, according to officials. When he arrived, he was met by law enforcement who arrested Smith and charged him with 8 counts of use of a communications system to request minor to expose genitals or engage in a sexual act, first and second offenses.
Smith is being held at the Western Tidewater Regional Jail under a no bond status.
In a news release, the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office said this investigation reinforces their commitment to our communities, especially the youth, “It is our aim to provide them with a safe place to live, work and learn without the fear of being exploited or victimized by those lurking in the dark shadows of the internet.”
