A federal grand jury has returned a 20-count child exploitation indictment against a former St. Thomas high school coach, U.S. Attorney Delia Smith announced Monday.
Alfredo Bruce Smith, 51, was charged with 20 counts, including production of child pornography, coercion and enticement, and transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity. Smith is also charged with Virgin Islands sexual offenses, including aggravated second-degree rape.
Homeland Security Investigations began investigating Smith, who worked as a coach and a school monitor at Charlotte Amalie High School, after receiving reports that he sexually assaulted a minor during a school-sponsored track and field trip in March 2019. A witness said they had alerted a CAHS official to the coach’s alleged crimes but were not satisfied with how the matter was handled, according to court documents.
Smith was arrested on Sept. 1, 2021, and subsequently charged with 13 criminal counts, including production of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child.
A subsequent search of Smith’s social media and cell phones revealed dozens of images of child pornography, many of which depicted sex acts occurring at Charlotte Amalie High School, according to court documents filed in his case.
He has pleaded not guilty and is currently being held at the federal detention center in Puerto Rico, pending the outcome of his case.
If convicted, Smith faces a possible sentence of life in prison.