Multiple US Men Arrested in Coordinated Child Pornography Investigations

Multiple arrests have been made across various states as part of ongoing investigations into child pornography and online child exploitation. In Oklahoma, Heath Corey Spears and Michal Whyne Smith were arrested for possession of child sexual abuse material following multi-agency investigations and cellphone searches. In Illinois, William Wanless was charged with possession of child pornography with intent to disseminate after Illinois State Police executed a search warrant at his home. A Weyauwega man was also taken into custody based on a cyber tip concerning child sexual abuse material, though further details were withheld. In Colorado, Jacob Schmidt was arrested and charged with sexual exploitation of a child after a months-long investigation initiated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Law enforcement agencies emphasized the critical role of ongoing investigative work and public tips in combating online child exploitation, underscoring their commitment to aggressively pursue offenders.