A Southington man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for possessing millions images and videos depicting child sex abuse, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Authorities said Richard Smith, 67, was sentenced to 144 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release.
In October of 2020, special agents conducted a search of Smith's Southington home. At the time, his computer was running and connected to a website dedicated to child pornography. Authorities said one of Smith's computer monitors displayed a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing numerous pornographic file names and hyperlinks.
As a result, investigators seized Smith's computer and electronic devices, revealing millions of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers.
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According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith's criminal history includes convictions related to the sexual assault of boys in 1990 and 1998.
He was arrested on Oct. 1, 2020 and he pleaded guilty to possession charges in November 2022.
The FBI, Southington Police Department, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Homeland Security Investigations assisted with the investigation.
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