By Mike Fletcher
Tribune staff writer
Kokomo — Two drawings that police say depict a naked underage girl have allegedy landed a Sharpsville man behind bars on two counts of felony possession of child pornography.
Tipton County sheriff deputies, with assistance from the U.S. Marshal Service, arrested Jeffrey Dwain Smith, 52, Tuesday in Elkart on a warrant issued out of Tipton Circuit Court.
Smith is being held in the Elkart County jail and was expected to be transported to the Tipton County jail Wednesday, Tipton County Sheriff Frank Fritch said.
Deputies requested the help of the U.S. Marshal Service after they were initially unable to locate Smith, Fritch added.
Tipton County Prosecutor Jay Rich filed the warrant June 26 charging Smith with two Class D felony counts of possession of child pornography.
According to state law, a person who possesses a picture, drawing, photograph, a negative image, undeveloped film, videotape or motion picture commits possession of child pornography.
Sheriff Deputy Denny Pearson was dispatched to Smith’s resident April 29 on a report of a domestic argument and said he found two drawings of a nude, pre-pubescent girl.
According to the charging information, Smith admitted he drew the pictures and said “he had a problem.”
If convicted, Smith could face up to three years on each charge.
• Mike Fletcher is the Kokomo Tribune crime reporter. He can be reached at 765-454-8565 or mike.fletcher@kokomotribune.com.
