Former Colorado teacher sent to prison for sex crimes against 37 teenage boys
A former Durango middle school teacher who obtained sexual images from more than three dozen teenage boys by pretending to be a 16-year-old girl on social media was sentenced last week to four decades in prison.
Benjamin Smith was sentenced in a Denver federal courtroom Tuesday. The judge ordered lifetime supervision, too, once Smith is released from prison.
Smith, 30, posed as "Kristin" on Snapchat under the username "MTNCHICK69," according to evidence presented by federal prosecutors. Behind that identity, Smith reached out to boys in the Durango area as young as 12. He started conversations, sent out photos of a naked girl, then asked the boys to send back photos of themselves in return, prosecutors stated.
Smith used his disguise and tactics to "convince the targeted adolescents that they were engaging in sexual acts with 'Kristin,'" as stated in a federal press release announcing the sentence.
The first victim came forward in 2024. Smith was indicted that same year. He recently pleaded guilty to committing, separately or in combination, offenses involving the production of child pornography or coercing and enticing minors against a total of 37 teenage victims.
"Those who prey on children have no place in a civil society, and I am personally grateful that this abomination is off the streets and will no longer be able to hurt our young people," stated United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly in his office's press release.
The offenses occurred over a 21-month period, according to the federal indictment.
Smith previously worked as a music teacher at Escalante Middle School in Durango.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Durango Police Department.
"The Durango Police Department welcomes the sentencing of Benjamin Smith and the accountability it brings for the young people he victimized." the department posted on social media the same day Smith was sentenced. "Behind each charge in this case is a young person whose trust was violated. We recognize the courage it took for victims and their families to come forward, participate in this investigation, and see it through the criminal justice process. Their willingness to speak helped ensure that Smith was held accountable.
"This investigation also shows why law enforcement must evolve alongside the criminals we investigate. Technology can provide extraordinary opportunities for communication and connection, but it can also be weaponized by predators seeking access to children."
Durango Police Chief Brice Current added his own comments within his department's post.
"Protecting children is one of our most fundamental responsibilities," Current stated. "Privacy and public safety are not opposing values. We will defend both. But privacy cannot act as a sanctuary for predators who use technology to target, manipulate, and exploit children. Technology evolves. Criminals adapt. So do we.
"To those who prey on children: never assume a screen, an app, or a false identity will keep you hidden. We will use every lawful tool available to find you, expose what you have done, and hold you accountable."
