Pennsylvania Man Admits To Sexually Assaulting 8-Year-Old For Years, Recording Abuse After Sedating Victim

A Pennsylvania man has admitted to sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl for over two years and recording videos of the abuse after sedating the victim, according to authorities.

Herbert Smith, 33, of Philadelphia, was indicted in September 2019 on seven counts of manufacturing child pornography. He pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday, a news release from the Department of Justice said.

As a result of Smith's guilty plea, he now faces up to 210 years in prison, including a mandatory minimum of 15 years and five years up to a lifetime of supervised release. Smith must also register as a sex offender under state law.

The abuse came to light after police served an arrest warrant for Smith for a different case, which involved a 9-year-old victim. Smith was found lying in bed with the said victim when he was arrested.

Authorities seized Smith's digital devices. When the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a forensic analysis of the electronic equipment, they found hundreds of images of Smith's horrific sexual assault on the 8-year-old victim.

According to court records, Smith saved the images and videos of rape on electronic devices and uploaded some of them to his online storage account. Investigators found that these materials were recorded after the victim was given medications to sleep.

Philadelphia Police took Smith into custody in August 2019. He has been in federal custody since his September 2019 indictment.

"Herbert Smith admits inflicting repeated horrific sexual assaults on a little girl, and recording the abuse so he could savor it whenever he wanted," Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division, said. "His actions are unconscionable and the harm he's done, immeasurable. It's cases like this that drive the FBI and our partners, as we work to protect our community's children from depraved predators like Smith."

In addition to getting jail term, Smith faces a fine of up to $1,750,000 and special assessments of up to $35,700, reported Daily Voice.

"Smith is a predator of young children and has been for years," Acting Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Williams said. "With this conviction, and Smith now facing up to 210 years in prison, his victimization of our most vulnerable citizens has finally come to an end."