Popular former porn star set to plead guilty to federal child pornography charge
A popular former gay porn star is set to plead guilty to possessing child pornography after the FBI found he had allegedly sent and received hundreds of deeply disturbing videos.
Justin Heath Smith, also known in the gay adult film world as Austin Wolf, is expected to plead guilty Friday to a federal child pornography charge carrying a mandatory minimum prison sentence.
Smith, 43, has been in federal custody in New York since his June 2024 arrest.
He allegedly exchanged 'hundreds of videos' of child sex abuse material including content involving prepubescent children and even infants over the Telegram messaging service.
Smith was initially caught after the feds carried out an undercover operation that led to a search of his Manhattan apartment.
Agents allegedly found an SD card containing hundred of videos of child pornography.
He allegedly exchanged the sickening videos with the anonymous target of an investigation by the bureau.
The two allegedly used the encrypted app Telegram to trade the horrific content, which authorities said included a video of a 10-year-old child being bound and raped.
Smith, 43, allegedly exchanged 'hundreds of videos' of child sex abuse material including content involving prepubescent children and even infants over the Telegram messaging service
Smith's defense attorney, Thomas H. Andrykovitz, wrote that his client 'intends to plead guilty to a mandatory minimum charge with a significant advisory range under the United States Sentencing Guidelines,' in a letter to US District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.
The plea hearing is scheduled for 11:45 am Friday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Reports say an undercover FBI agent zeroed in on Wolf after finding him through the anonymous target of the probe, who confirmed his identity by talking to him through the target's Telegram account.
Wolf's Manhattan apartment was raided by the FBI following the sting in April 2024, where cops reportedly found hundreds of videos of child porn on an SD card in his computer room.
One of Wolf's last social media posts chillingly read: 'Have you seen what happens to little boys that follow me to the lock room?'
He appeared in court last June after the sting operation.
Prosecutor Getzel Berger described Wolf as a 'danger to children online, danger to children offline, danger to children everywhere', as he argued for him to be put behind bars awaiting trial.
US Attorney Damian Williams said that 'Justin Heath Smith received and distributed hundreds of recordings containing child pornography, including a ghastly video showing a young child bound, beaten, and raped.'
'Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue those predators who victimize children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.'
It is not the first time Wolf has made headlines for the wrong reasons.
He was caught in 2018 having a mid-flight romp with a flight attendant.
Footage emerged of the two having sex inside an aircraft restroom, with the Delta staffer still wearing their uniform when they were caught.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
35 minutes ago
- The Sun
Explosive new Diddy mansion pics reveal star's shelves stacked with baby oil, a vast weapons arsenal & ketamine stash
BOMBSHELL new images from Sean "Diddy" Combs' mansion have been revealed - with shelves stacked with baby oil, shotguns sprawled around, and his ketamine stash unveiled. The disgraced music mogul, 55, is currently on trial in New York for sex-trafficking, and faces life behind bars if convicted. 10 10 10 He's pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution, as prosecutors alleged his business empire was also a criminal enterprise. The abundance of explosive pics were released by federal prosecutors as the trial was stalled due to the Juneteenth holiday. The bombshell items were seized by Homeland Security officials during the March 2024 raid at Combs' mansion in the neighborhood of Holmby Hills - a playground for the rich and famous. One chilling image shows baby oil neatly displayed across three shelves in one room of the sprawling property. Homeland Security Investigations agent Andre Lamon has testified that he found 900 bottles of lubricant Astroglide and 200 bottles of baby oil at Combs' home. Defense Attorney Marc Agnifilo said the disgraced star likes to "buy in bulk like any other American". Another image shows various weapons confiscated by agents, including deadly AR-15 style rifles and pump shotguns. Investigators also discovered bags of the drug ketamine that were photographed as evidence. Federal prosecutors have alleged that the Schedule III, or Class B substance was used in the infamous "freak-offs". Combs would put women through days-long "freak-off" sex parties while filming them, a court heard last month. Kanye shows up to Diddy's sex trafficking trial in blacked out Maybach after being spotted in NYC with wife Bianca A few weeks ago, Combs' ex-girlfriend testified about opening "Pandora's box" after she agreed to the music executive's proposal to engage in sex with strangers. The woman, who is being identified in court under the pseudonym Jane, recalled on the stand about falling "head over heels" for Combs after they first met in late 2020. She said that she did various drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, molly, and ketamine, every time she saw Combs between February and May 2021. During the March 2024 raid, a hard drive was also seized, and the property's security system was turned off. Combs forked out almost $40 million on the 17,000 square-foot, 10-bedroom home back in September 2014. He put it on the market a decade later for $61.5 million. The property boasts outdoor features such as a swimming pool, and its lawns are neat. Inside, there is a 35-seat theater room, a wine cellar, a gym, as well as a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen. Its other features include a basketball court, spa room, and an outdoor loggia-style facility where barbecues can be hosted, per the Zillow listing. 10 10 10 10 10 There's also an underground swimming tunnel that is linked to a grotto. Meanwhile, even if Combs is found guilty, he could be pardoned by President Donald Trump. Trump surprised reporters by commenting on the court case during a news conference with Elon Musk and revealed he would consider whether or not he has been "mistreated." Asked if he would consider pardoning him, Trump said, "Nobody's asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking." He said he felt the former music mogul used to like him "a lot" but wasn't his biggest fan after he went into politics. Despite this, Trump said, "I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me." If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673). Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom - inside the trial of the decade By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs began with jury selection on May 5. Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan - an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried. Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him. When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable. Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial. As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers. All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector. Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip. The courthouse uses a poker chip system to sort the number of electronic devices visitors are in possession of. Electronic devices, such as Bluetooth-powered headphones, voice recorders, laptops, cellphones, and smart watches, are confiscated before you're allowed to enter the courthouse's main hallway. As about a half-dozen reporters and I waited in the gallery for jury selection, we witnessed how Combs entered the courtroom shackle-free. Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors. The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors. As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed "thank you" to a handful of supporters in the gallery. I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan. A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery. At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul. At least half a dozen members of Combs' family arrived at the courthouse as spectators filed in single order to enter the federal building to turn over all their electronic devices. Combs' trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian's courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks. We'll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun. 10
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
R Kelly denied release from prison just days after overdose
Disgraced singer R Kelly has been denied release from prison just days after his lawyers claimed he overdosed as a result of a botched murder plot. The former R&B star's legal team filed a motion on June 17 to have him sent to home confinement rather than being behind bars due to the 'imminent' threat to his life. But Judge Martha Pacold ruled that there was 'no legal basis for this court's jurisdiction' and threw the request out. The artist's lawyers claimed last week that Kelly had suffered an overdose after prison guards deliberately gave him too much anxiety medication. They also claimed that the 58-year-old, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was forcibly removed from hospital despite doctors finding blood clots in his legs that required surgery. Federal prosecutors rejected these allegations at the time as 'deeply unserious' and said the latest motion made 'a mockery' of the abuse suffered by Kelly's victims. They added that 'every convicted murderer, rapist, and terrorist will have a newfound shot at freedom' if Kelly was to be released from prison. Despite this and the recent rejection to have Kelly sent to home confinement, his lawyer Beau Brindley said he and his legal team would file a new motion based on what he called 'newly discovered evidence.' Mr Brindley said the request would also call for immediate bail 'pending its litigation'. 'We are not surprised by this ruling as we knew that technical jurisdiction would be a challenge under these circumstances,' Mr Brindley told USA TODAY. 'However, we had no choice but to act immediately given explicit evidence of a threat to Robert Kelly's life.' The news organisation said as of June 19, Mr Brindley and his team had not yet filed the new motion. Kelly was allegedly put in solitary confinement 'against his will' in response to a separate filing from his attorneys which claimed three prison officials hatched a plot to have him killed by a white supremacist gang. His legal team cited a sworn declaration from terminally ill inmate named Mikeal Glenn Stine in which he alleged the prison officials asked him to carry out the singer's murder. Kelly requested he be placed on house arrest for his crimes - which included convictions for child pornography and enticing minors for sex. Prosecutors called the attempt to be freed from his sex crimes sentence 'repugnant'. Stine, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang, alleged that high-ranking officials in the prison system offered him the opportunity to escape from prison and live out his final months as a 'free man' before his terminal illness kills him. In the filing, it was further alleged that Stine was pressured to carry out the killing in March when he was transferred to Kelly's unit, and was told by staff: 'You need to do what you came here for.' Stine said he stalked Kelly for months as he considered the assassination plot, but changed his mind and told the singer about the plan to kill him, according to the filing cited by The Independent. The singer's attorneys say they became aware of a second plot in June to have a different member of the Aryan Brotherhood kill both Kelly and Stine. Kelly's attorneys have also requested a pardon from President Donald Trump, saying the singer, 'does not have the luxury to wait for vindication from the Courts that will follow the exposure of the corruption at the heart of his prosecutions.' The attorneys previously claimed they 'are engaged in conversations with multiple persons close to the White House and to President Trump'. Kelly was convicted in 2021 and 2022 for racketeering, sex trafficking, child pornography and enticement. A New York City federal court sentenced him to 30 years in prison in 2022 and he was sentenced to 20 years in jail in a Chicago federal court the year after. Evidence at trial in New York included testimony from more than 10 victims, as well as video and DNA evidence. In the Chicago trial it emerged that Kelly enticed multiple underage girls to engage in sexual activity which he recorded. Kelly met his victims in the late 1990s and engaged in sex acts with them when they were as young as 14, 15 and 16 years old before covering up the acts. The singer has been behind bars since July 2019, and is now at the prison that housed late Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff. He will be 78 when eligible for release in 2045. MailOnline approached The Bureau of Prisons for comment.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Rapper Fat Joe hits back at bombshell $20m lawsuit comparing him to Diddy & accusing him of having sex with minors
FAT Joe has hit back at bombshell claims he had sex with underage girls in a $20 million lawsuit comparing him to Sean Combs. The rapper's former hypeman Terrance 'T.A.' Dixon made shocking allegations in the suit filed in New York on Thursday claiming Fat Joe had sexual relationships with at least three underage girls. 3 3 Joe, whose real name is Joe Cartagena, has hit back at the claims detailed in the 157-page court filing calling them "lies" and a "blatant act of retaliation". The lawsuit suing the rapper for damages of up to $20 million comes just two months after Joe sued Dixon for defamation. Dixon's court filing accused the 54-year-old of "engaging in sexual relations with children who were 15 and 16 years old" in exchange for cash and materialistic goods like clothes and phone bill payments. One of the girls from Dominican was 16 when she performed oral sex and other sexual acts on Joe in exchange for cash, clothes, and phone bill payments, documents seen by TMZ allege. Joe is also accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl he met at a concert abroad. He allegedly flew the girl out to New York and Miami on several occasions and paid for her to have a Brazilian Butt Lift, Dixon claims. The lawsuit further accused the rapper of falling in love with a 15-year-old Latina [referred to as Minor Doe 3] who he flew out for tours, set up in a Florida condo near his family home, and considered leaving his wife for. "The Defendant paid all Minor Doe 3's bills and even took her overseas to his tour stops," the lawsuit alleges. "He brought her to Florida and would put her up in a condo he rented a few blocks from his house with his wife. "In a recorded conversation, Minor Doe 3 and her 15-year-old cousin describe in detail to Plaintiff how 'inappropriate' it was for Defendant, who was in his late 30s at the time, to be fawning over children." Dixon also claimed Joe subjected him to "coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion." The former hype man alleged that Joe made him perform coercive sexual acts over 4,000 times "under duress and surveillance", threatening to abandon him abroad if he did not. He allegedly had to perform such "humiliating" acts "to maintain his standing within the Enterprise." The lawsuit claims Dixon faced "a wide spectrum of sexual coercion, psychological control, forced exhibitionism, and surveillance-based humiliation, including being compelled to perform sex acts under observation, being filmed, or directed by [Fat Joe] in the presence of others — tactics designed to control Plaintiff's body, erode his autonomy, and ensure silence." Dixon's lawyer Tyrone Blackburn said Joe is "Sean Combs minus the Tusi." Diddy is currently on trial for sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution - all of which he has pleaded not guilty to. "These sex-based abuses were not private, incidental, or isolated," Blackburn, who represented Lil Rod in his lawsuit against Diddy, said of Dixon's lawsuit. "They were integral to the enterprise's culture of dominance and humiliation, enforced by Defendant's associates," he added, naming others listed in the lawsuit against Fat Joe. 'LIES AND THREATS' The rapper's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who defended A$AP Rocky in his felony gun trial, told The Independant that the claims made by Dixon are entirely "fabricated". "The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation," he said, adding that it is all "lies" to destroy Joe's reputation and "force a settlement through public pressure". "Mr Cartagena will not be intimidated," he said. "We have taken legal action to expose this fraudulent campaign and hold everyone involved accountable." Joe's defamation lawsuit against Dixon accuses him and his lawyer Blackburn of attempted extortion and harassment. Tacopina called the $20 million lawsuit "a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first, which exposed their coordinated scheme to extort Mr. Cartagena through lies, threats, and manufactured allegations." However, Dixon has said he will not go down without a fight, "This is the right way to fight Joe - through the system" he told Variety. "Joe thinks he's a god. Joe thinks he's untouchable." 3
