Accused child molester arrested, feds say more victims likely
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SPANAWAY, Wash. -- Police here have arrested a man accused of molesting a 7-year-old girl, and detectives fear there may be additional victims.
Jeffrey R. Smiley was arrested and charged on Tuesday with aggravated sexual abuse for assaulting a young girl on federal property.
Earlier this month the girl revealed that Smiley, 36, had molested her in the woods of the Fort Lewis Military Reservation near Spanaway, according to federal agents.
Investigators searched the publicly-accessible woods, and at two locations found camera equipment, children's clothes, toys, mattresses and sexual paraphernalia.
Parked nearby was Smiley's car, inside which investigators found computer equipment containing images of child pornography, including images of the 7-year-old girl.
"Given the amount of evidence that was found. the number of images, the children's clothing that was found, number of toys, the extent of the evidence, there's concern, certainly, that there could have been more than one child," said FBI spokesman Fred Gutt.
Smiley's adoptive sisters allege abuse
Prior to Smiley's arrest on Tuesday, an arrest warrant had been issued for Smiley for two counts of first-degree child molestation from a previous incident.
According to court documents, Smiley's own mother had accused him of sexually assaulting his two adoptive sisters between September 2006 and June 2007. The girls were 5 and 9 years old at the time.
The allegations first surfaced after the younger girl told her mother Smiley had acted strangely while babysitting her and her sister overnight on July 12, 2008. The girl said Smiley exposed himself, touched her genitals and took pictures of her naked, the documents said.
When interviewed by detectives, however, the girl, whom detectives described as "developmentally delayed," did not disclose any abuse.
The 5-year-old girl reported a similar incident to her mother a month later. The mother then asked her 9-year-old daughter whether she had any similar encounters.
Prosecutors said the older girl burst into tears and said Smiley had touched her when she spent a night at his house in the fourth grade.
While watching a movie, the girl said Smiley told her he'd "show her what boyfriends do," instructed her to take her clothes off, then touched her, according to the documents. The next day Smiley told her not to tell anyone about the incident, the girl said.
Smiley was arrested in February, then released on his own recognizance. He was scheduled to stand trial in August.
However, an arrest warrant was issued when he broke a condition of his release by moving in with a woman and her young child earlier this year. Smiley had been instructed to have no contact with minor children and to stay away from school grounds or playgrounds.
Records indicate Smiley has a 4-year-old daughter of his own, who has been placed under the care of her grandfather residing in another state.
The mandatory minimum sentence for an aggravated sexual abuse conviction is 30 years in prison.
Anyone with information or concerns about the possible victimization of a child is asked to contact the FBI by calling (206) 622-0460 or by e-mailing detectives.
Jeffrey R. Smiley was arrested and charged on Tuesday with aggravated sexual abuse for assaulting a young girl on federal property.
Earlier this month the girl revealed that Smiley, 36, had molested her in the woods of the Fort Lewis Military Reservation near Spanaway, according to federal agents.
Investigators searched the publicly-accessible woods, and at two locations found camera equipment, children's clothes, toys, mattresses and sexual paraphernalia.
Parked nearby was Smiley's car, inside which investigators found computer equipment containing images of child pornography, including images of the 7-year-old girl.
"Given the amount of evidence that was found. the number of images, the children's clothing that was found, number of toys, the extent of the evidence, there's concern, certainly, that there could have been more than one child," said FBI spokesman Fred Gutt.
Smiley's adoptive sisters allege abuse
Prior to Smiley's arrest on Tuesday, an arrest warrant had been issued for Smiley for two counts of first-degree child molestation from a previous incident.
According to court documents, Smiley's own mother had accused him of sexually assaulting his two adoptive sisters between September 2006 and June 2007. The girls were 5 and 9 years old at the time.
The allegations first surfaced after the younger girl told her mother Smiley had acted strangely while babysitting her and her sister overnight on July 12, 2008. The girl said Smiley exposed himself, touched her genitals and took pictures of her naked, the documents said.
When interviewed by detectives, however, the girl, whom detectives described as "developmentally delayed," did not disclose any abuse.
The 5-year-old girl reported a similar incident to her mother a month later. The mother then asked her 9-year-old daughter whether she had any similar encounters.
Prosecutors said the older girl burst into tears and said Smiley had touched her when she spent a night at his house in the fourth grade.
While watching a movie, the girl said Smiley told her he'd "show her what boyfriends do," instructed her to take her clothes off, then touched her, according to the documents. The next day Smiley told her not to tell anyone about the incident, the girl said.
Smiley was arrested in February, then released on his own recognizance. He was scheduled to stand trial in August.
However, an arrest warrant was issued when he broke a condition of his release by moving in with a woman and her young child earlier this year. Smiley had been instructed to have no contact with minor children and to stay away from school grounds or playgrounds.
Records indicate Smiley has a 4-year-old daughter of his own, who has been placed under the care of her grandfather residing in another state.
The mandatory minimum sentence for an aggravated sexual abuse conviction is 30 years in prison.
Anyone with information or concerns about the possible victimization of a child is asked to contact the FBI by calling (206) 622-0460 or by e-mailing detectives.
