In a disturbing revelation of past offenses, a father and son have been sentenced for a series of child sexual assaults. According to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, Theadore Smith, now 100 years old, will serve 100 years behind bars, while his son, James Smith, 66, was handed a sentence of 23 years to life.
Details of their convictions include Theadore Smith's no contest plea to 11 counts of committing forcible lewd acts upon a child and three counts of lewd acts upon a child; he was also concluded to have engaged in substantial sexual conduct and to have adopted a position of trust with the victims. James Smith, similarly, pled no contest to two counts of lewd acts upon a child. His acts also included an element of premeditation and betrayal of trust. It was revealed that some of the offenses involved a coordinated effort between the two men, raising serious questions about family dynamics and morality.
The Sacramento County DA’s Office's report further disclosed that the appalling offenses were uncovered when a citizen, who had recently purchased the Orangevale home long occupied by the Smiths, stumbled upon explicit Polaroid photos and video tapes during a renovation project in 2021. These materials, from the '80s and '90s, showcased the exploitation of young children.
Detectives were able to locate now-adult victims through an extensive investigation. The abuse apparently began when the children were under the age of 5 and continued through their early years. Though the victims disclosed the abuse only to their spouses, the visual evidence unearthed led to a legal reckoning that, despite being decades overdue, intended to timely administer justice. Theadore and James Smith, prior to their arrest, had been residing in Texas where additional Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) was found at their property.
