A film executive, Paul Smith, of Moazart Street, found himself in hot water after undercover police caught him trying to chat with underage girls. Smith, whose £900,000 home in London’s Maida Vale was raided by police, was also found with illegal images of children on his computer. He appeared before Southwark Crown Court and admitted to the charges brought against him.
The 42-year-old believed he was communicating with young individuals online, but in reality, he was interacting with undercover officers using various pseudonyms. The court heard that illegal images were discovered on Smith’s computer during the police raid in February 2022.
Initially appearing in court under the name Theodore Robert Tennessee Freed, Smith later changed his name to Paul Smith. Despite this, his LinkedIn profile still identifies him as Theodore Freed, working as an account manager for Full Circle Films.
Smith confessed to making several illegal images and has been sentenced to three years and 32 weeks in prison.