Utah Professor Accused Of Veiwing Child Porn On Plane

Police find images of six-year-old girls performing sex acts

A Utah University Professor was arrested Saturday for allegedly viewing child porn on his laptop while abroad a Delta flight flying from Salt Lake City to Boston.

Grant Smith, 47, a doctorate science and engineering professor at the University of Utah, pleaded not guilty Monday to child pornography charges in a Boston Court.

According to prosecutor Erik Bennett, a passenger seated behind Smith saw him looking at kiddie porn on his Macbook and took a picture of Smith in the act. The unidentified passenger then texted his son with the picture, asking him to contact Massachusetts police, the Boston Globe reported.

He also alerted a flight attendant, who asked Smith to shut off his computer. Smith was later seen scrambling to delete files from his computer.

State Police met Smith at the Logan Airport flight on Saturday, searched his laptop and allegedly discovered “disturbing images” of girls as young as 6 naked or nearly naked, engaging in simulated sex acts, State Police spokesman David Procopio said.

The University of Utah suspended Smith on Sunday and issued a statement the same day saying he deserves a full investigation into the issue. Adding, “the University of Utah, however, has no tolerance for the viewing or possessing of child pornography by any of its employees, regardless of where it occurs.”

The school’s statement continued, “As a result, if the allegations against professor Smith are found to be true, the university will immediately seek professor Smith’s dismissal.”

Smith had been held in jail on $15,000 bail since his arrest.