Posted on 11/27/2011 8:16:09 PM PST by raccoonradio
(More Details) BOSTON -- Massachusetts State Police arrested an airline passenger at Boston Logan International Airport after officers said he watched child pornography while onboard a plane. Officials told NewsCenter 5's Cheryl Fiandaca the incident happened about 2:53 p.m. Saturday during a Delta Airlines flight from Utah to Boston.
“That’s really creepy,” said one female passenger. “That’s disgusting.”
Troopers said a passenger took a cellphone photo of 47-year-old Grant Smith, of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, watching the video.
“The notion that someone would be so bold as to view it in public is extraordinary and I’m not sure what the explanation is,” said attorney and victim's advocate, Wendy Murphy.
Investigators said Smith, an engineering professor at the University of Utah, was seated in the first class section at the time. The passenger then alerted the flight crew to the incident and also emailed a family member so that they could contact police.
Smith, a father of two young children had come to Boston to attend a conference for the Material Research Society meeting at the Hynes Convention Center.
Officials said Smith was interviewed by troopers when the flight landed in Boston at 4:12 p.m. where sources said he consented to a search of his computer and cell phone.
“What we have is the equivalent of a confession,” said Murphy. “Someone who not only sees it but is smart enough to take a picture of it is very solid evidence. Reporting it immediately to law enforcement, law enforcement then being able to do their own immediate investigation -- that’s a very strong case -- at least at this point.”
After troopers allegedly found images of young girls, Smith was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography.
“I would be very offended and I would probably turn him in too,” said another female passenger.
Police said the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has joined the investigation.
Smith is being held at the Logan Airport Barracks and his bail is set at $15,000. He is scheduled to be arraigned at East Boston District Court on Monday. Police said more charges may follow.
Should have thrown him out of the plane en-route.
Many of today’s professors are the lowest of the low.
One more example of one willing to corrupt the
minds of the youth, like so many of them do every
day in their lecture halls.
Ch 5 Boston’s video report said the images of young girls on his computer had some as young as five yrs old.
I’ll bet a dollar that the “images of young girls” were in fact women above the age of consent. I wouldn’t dvocate watching porn of any kind on an airliner, but some may want to temper their outrage...
>>a conference for the Material Research Society meeting
Hey, a conference like that is probably time consuming so he must have figured he’d only have time to look at the kiddie porn while en route...
I would run from the mere possibiliy of seeing child pornography.
However, this story and many like it lead me to believe there are a lot of people out there who think it’s no big deal, or are ignoant of the penalties, or figure they should be able to view anything they want.
lol
I wouldn’t bet much more than that dollar, they arrested him so I suspect the images were of young underage girls. Could be wrong though because the article doesn’t explain in any way the illegal nature of the images.
>>women above the age of consent
I thought Ch 5 said some of the pix were of girls as young as five. I don’t know what the age of consent is in Utah, but...
Re-watching video (I saw clip on 11 pm news)
0:36 in : “found pictures of naked girls, SOME AS YOUNG AS FIVE.”
the video:
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/29866628/detail.html
1:40 in I think it says some as young as five, or
some under five.
The report that aired on the 6 pm news—available on the Ch 5 website, see link—says TWICE (not in print report) “some
as young as five” or even “under five”. I’m guessing that is somewhat under the age of consent.
What a dumb$h!t ! So stupid to look at that kind of stuff especially in public ! Be interesting to see what happens from there !
Like that coach Sandusky who talked about showering naked with ten year old boys and touching them as just harmless "horsing around." He long since lost sight of the fact that normal men just don't do that.
Like that coach Sandusky who talked about showering naked with ten year old boys and touching them as just harmless "horsing around." He long since lost sight of the fact that normal men just don't do that.
Yes...btw Smith’s profile etc can be seen online, including the pic Ch 5 news showed.
And from Boston Globe:
Passenger’s email alerted authorities to Utah man arrested for viewing child pornography on flight
>>A man arrested Saturday at Logan Airport for allegedly viewing child pornography on a flight from Salt Lake City was apprehended after a passenger seated behind him took a picture of what he was doing and sent an email to a relative in Arizona that said to contact police, State Police said today...Smith, who will be arraigned tomorrow at East Boston District Court, is a professor at the University of Utah, according to a law enforcement official.
The University of Utah directory lists Grant D. Smith as a professor of material science and engineering and an adjunct professor of chemical engineering. He also runs a research group at the university.
>>Remi Barron, a University of Utah spokesman, said he could not confirm that the man arrested is a university employee. However, he confirmed that there is a professor named Grant D. Smith at the university. He also said that if the man arrested turned out to be the professor, he would be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.
It could be innocent. He could be married to them.
Where’s that rimshot sound effect when you need it.
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