A 29-year-old Wayne man who was arrested last week on charges he solicited sexual images from a middle school girl had attempted to target several other underage students, according to a police affidavit.
William C. Smith was arrested Thursday at a residence in Vassalboro in connection with allegations he tried earlier this month to lure a 14-year-old student at Maranacook Community Middle School in Readfield into sending lewd photographs.
Smith was charged with solicitation of a child for commercial sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child.
The Kennebec County Sherriff’s Office investigated the case with the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Maine Violent Offender Task Force.
New information in court records filed at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta indicates Smith added four students at the school on the social media platform Snapchat. He allegedly told one boy he had already obtained explicit photographs of the boy’s 14-year-old classmate.
The boy told his classmate that an account with Smith’s username had sent concerning messages about her, according to the affidavit. The girl then alerted Maranacook Community Middle School Principal Rick Sirois, who got School Resource Officer Nathan Johnson involved. Johnson then launched an investigation.
Snapchat is a smartphone application where photographs and messages disappear after 24 hours and users must usually add one another back to receive messages.
None of the students knew Smith or could explain how he had gotten their Snapchat usernames, according to the affidavit. Two students said if Smith had messaged them, it was not concerning to them, and one did not add him back.
Superintendent Jay Charette said Smith has no connection to Regional School Unit 38, the school district that includes Maranacook Community Middle School. RSU 38 serves Readfield, Manchester, Mount Vernon and Wayne.
While investigating the claims, Johnson created a fake cellphone number to message Smith and pretended to be the 14-year-old girl.
Smith immediately began to send explicit messages and ask for explicit photographs, according to the affidavit. Smith also asked to meet up so he could perform sexual acts in exchange for money.
Smith eventually sent a photograph of himself to the number Johnson was using, and the school resource officer recognized him as Smith, a former classmate of his at Maranacook Community High School.
“I went to high school with the suspect, and he was in the same grade as me,” Johnson wrote.
Smith allegedly used the username “AfroSamurai2844” on Snapchat, which the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit later traced back to him, along with two other usernames Smith had reportedly used to add the students.
Johnson issued a warrant Jan. 12 for Smith’s arrest. At the time, Smith’s whereabouts were unknown.
Smith remained Wednesday at the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta after his bail was set last week at $2,500 cash. He has been ordered to have no contact with the 14-year-old girl, her family or anyone younger than 18. He is also prohibited from using firearms or the internet, and he may not enter any place of education.
Smith’s first court date has been set for April 23.
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