IRON COUNTY, Utah, March 24, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — An Iron County man has been sentenced to prison after his conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor.
Eli Wendell Smith, 54, is going to the Utah State Prison, a statement from the County Attorney’s Office says. His sentence was 1 to 15 years.
“An investigation led to the discovery of numerous images on Smith’s laptop that constituted child sexual abuse material,” the release says.
“At sentencing, prosecutors from our office emphasized the serious nature of the crime and its lasting impact on victims. The consumption of this vile content is what promulgates its market and demand.
“This in turn promotes the motivation to increase its production which causes the predation of this extraordinarily vulnerable subset of our population, our children.”
The Iron County Attorney’s Office remains committed to protecting children and holding offenders accountable, the release says, adding that the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will determine the length of Smith’s incarceration.
