SAN ANGELO — Four men have been indicted by a Tom Green County grand jury for different crimes against children according to public records released by the Tom Green County District Clerk's office in December.
A Tom Green County Grand Jury met recently and handed down the indictments as part of its duties during the month of December. An indictment means the Grand Jury found there to be sufficient evidence for each individual case to proceed to trial.
Max Kieffer, Giovanni Lee Sistos, and James E. Smith have all been indicted for possession of child pornography charges while Nicholas Paul Dussault has been indicted on an online solicitation of a minor charge.
Max Kieffer (Far Left), James E. Smith (Left of Center), Giovanni Sistos (Right of Center, Nicholas Dussault (Far Right) Indicted (Contributed: Tom Green County Sheriff's Office)
The Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after Kieffer uploaded four video files containing child pornography to Snapchat. Kieffer was arrested on October 28, 2022 and is currently an inmate at the Tom Green County Detention Facility.
Sistos was arrested after NCMEC sent a cyber tip to the Texas Department of Public Safety. In a Mirandized custodial interview, Sistos allegedly admitted to seeing thumbnail images of child pornography and further allegedly admitted that images and videos on his cellphone were of a fifteen- and sixteen-year-old female. Sistos was arrested on August 2, 2022 and was released on $30,000 bond on August 4, 2022.
A special agent was conducting a possession of child pornography investigation involving downloading child pornography. Evidence was received from the BitTorrent Software showing a suspect, identified as James E. Smith, allegedly downloaded child porn utilizing BitTorrent. During the execution of a search warrant, electronic devices were seized and during a interview, Smith allegedly admitted to viewing child pornography. Smith was arrested on February 23, 2022 and was released on February 24, 2022 on $25,000 bond.
Nicholas Dussault was indicted for online solicitation charges after using a social media platform to talk with an undercover officer who was posting as a minor. Dussault allegedly elevated the communication to expressing sexual activity with the minor then overly acted on this by allegedly traveling to an agreed upon location to meet the child. Dussault was arrested on October 10, 2022 and was released on $15,000 bond on October 11, 2022.
Possession of child pornography is a third-degree felony that comes with a possible punishment of two to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine while online solicitation of a minor comes with a possible punishment is a second-degree felony that comes with a possible punishment of two to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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