Scott Christopher Smith, 39, of Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, United States was recently arrested. He and nine other men are accused of using apps to chat online with children they believed to be 13 or 14 years old.
Smith was one of the 10 men arrested and charged in connection with Operation Shining Light, an undercover sting aimed at catching adults using the internet to sexually exploit children. One of the arrestees engaged two undercover officers during the operation.
Operation Shining Light
Led by the sheriff’s office of Clay County, Florida, Operation Shining Light was conducted from August 2-6, 2023. To conduct the operation, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Orange Park Police Department, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Florida and the State Attorneys’ Office, 4th Judicial Court of Florida.
Operation Lightshine and the Intercept Task Force of Northeast Florida also participated in the operation. During the operation, investigators and agents went undercover as children online.
Once the operation concluded, more evidence were gathered to ensure that the 10 suspects could be prosecuted and held accountable, according to Clay County sheriff Michelle Cook. On October 18, 2023, she announced the names of the 10 arrestees including Smith.
Bond for Smith was set at $600,012. He was charged with soliciting a child for unlawful sexual conduct using computer services or devices, unlawful use of a two-way communications device and traveling to meet a minor to commit an unlawful sexual act.
Operation Lightshine x Intercept Task Force of Northeast Florida
In 2019, U.S. Marine Corps veteran Matthew Murphy‘s sister Sarah Anne Vinick was kidnapped and murdered by sex traffickers. In 2021, he organized Operation Lightshine.
Former National Football League player Tim Tebow joined Operation Lightshine. In March 2023, the group and the Intercept Task Force of Northeast Florida joined forces.
CONAN Daily 