The judge overseeing the case of sexual predation at a St. Thomas public high school says he will take more time to consider a plea deal submitted Sept. 13. But at the same time, Chief District Judge Robert Molloy set a sentencing date for defendant Alfredo Bruce Smith.
He also ordered the federal probation office to prepare a pre-sentencing report and to have that report ready for review by the government and Smith’s lawyer by Dec. 8. “After careful consideration and review, the court will defer a decision on accepting or rejecting the plea until the court reviews the presentence report and have heard from the parties,” Molloy said.
When Smith, 53 — a former hall monitor and athletic coach at the Charlotte Amalie High School — appeared at a change of plea hearing in September, he admitted to 20 different offenses committed against a dozen student-athletes over a 15-year period. Offenses acknowledged in the form of guilty pleas included rape, unlawful sexual contact, production of child pornography, enticement and coercion of minors to commit unlawful sex acts, and transportation of minors for the purpose of committing sex crimes.
In the plea deal promoted by both legal teams, the defendant would be sentenced to a prison term of 30-35 years. Information contained in the pre-sentencing report factors into the calculations used by judges to formulate the actual penalty.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. in the Ron deLugo Federal Building, Courtroom 1, St. Thomas.
