A Mountain View man is facing five felony charges after Stone County authorities say they uncovered more than 134,000 exploitative images of young girls on his phone.
Jordan Michael Smith, 34, was arrested Wednesday and charged with five counts of pandering or possessing a visual or print medium depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child. He was released on bond the following day, according to court records.
An investigation into Smith began on April 8, after a school counselor alerted school resource officers to allegations of sexual abuse disclosed by a 12-year-old, according to an affidavit from the Stone County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office launched an investigation that day.
During a forensic interview, the child told investigators that Smith had abused them on two occasions in Stone County and had shown them sexual images on his phone, the affidavit states.
Authorities say that when Smith was interviewed by investigators and read his rights, he admitted to finding an image online and displaying it to the child. The interview ended when Smith requested legal counsel, according to the affidavit.
Deputies executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence and seized his phone. Forensic analysis, conducted under a separate warrant, revealed more than 134,000 images depicting girls between the ages of 3 and 16, investigators said. Five images were selected to support the charges against Smith, with selections representing different age ranges described in the material.
Smith’s bond was initially set at $100,000. A circuit judge later reduced it to $40,000 at Smith’s request, without opposition from prosecutors. All other bond conditions remain in place, according to a court order.
An investigation into the case is ongoing, authorities said.