CAPE GIRARDEAU — A Clarkton man will spend the next 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.
Richard D. Smart, 66, of Clarkton was sentenced Thursday to 120 months (10 years) in federal prison by United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office.
According to court documents, law enforcement officials obtained a search warrant for Smart’s residence in July 2020 after an investigation revealed he was using his e-mail account to upload files containing child pornography. Smart was interviewed during the execution of the search warrant and admitted to possessing the material.
At the time, Smart was already required to register as a sex offender because of a 1991 conviction from the Circuit Court of Dunklin County for sexually abusing a young girl.
After serving his 10-year sentence, Smart will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. He will also be required to continue registering as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the SEMO Cyber Crimes Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.