Former Colorado Teacher Gets 40 Years for Exploiting 37 Boys

DENVER — A former Durango middle school teacher was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting 37 adolescent boys, federal prosecutors announced.

Benjamin Smith, 30, of Durango, will also remain under federal supervision for life after completing his prison sentence.

Smith pleaded guilty to producing child pornography involving 36 victims, coercing and enticing 11 minors and attempting to coerce and entice eight others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.

“Let this sentence send an unmistakable warning: predators who lurk online to manipulate, exploit and coerce children into producing sexually explicit material will be hunted down, exposed, prosecuted and held accountable to the maximum extent of the law,” said Homeland Security Investigations Denver, Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen.

According to the plea agreement and evidence presented at sentencing, Smith posed on Snapchat as a 16-year-old girl named “Kristin,” using the account name “MTNCHICK69.”

Prosecutors said Smith contacted adolescent boys in the Durango area, engaged them in conversations and sent them nude photographs of a young girl. He then persuaded the boys to send sexually explicit images of themselves, sometimes directing them to take specific photographs.

Smith, a former teacher at Escalante Middle School, was charged with producing child pornography involving 36 victims.

Prosecutors said Smith also used the fake identity to lure boys into in-person sexual encounters. He used disguises, props and a planned procedure to convince the victims that they were engaging in sexual activity with “Kristin.”

Smith sexually abused 11 boys and took substantial steps toward abusing eight others, according to prosecutors.

Several victims were as young as 13, and one was 12. Some had previously been Smith’s students at Escalante Middle School.