NORWICH – A man who demanded a trial for possessing child pornography on his cellphone pleaded guilty to attempted possession of child pornography in Chenango County Court on Monday.
Dirk M. Smith, 39, of Norwich, was arrested on October 26, 2017 in the town of Bainbridge and charged with possessing a sexual performance of a child, a class E felony, and resisting arrest, a class A misdemeanor.
After a second cell phone containing inappropriate photos was accepted as evidence on Friday, Smith pleaded guilty to attempted possession of child pornography, and was sentenced to a year in jail.
Police said they arrested Smith after a person known to him took his cellphone and gave it to state police. The person told troopers they were concerned child porn was on that phone and similar material was also on a second phone he still possessed.
“On October 26, 2017, [she] turned a cell phone into the troopers in Sidney,” said state police Investigator Jamieson Tefft.
According to Tefft, Smith’s girlfriend told the police there were inappropriate photos of young individuals collected by Smith on the phone, and said other photos were likely to be on his personal cell phone as well.
