TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains detailed information about child sexual abuse, including child pornography and exploitation. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
Justin Heath Smith, formerly known in the adult entertainment industry as Austin Wolf, is expected to plead guilty to a serious federal charge involving the possession and distribution of child pornography, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Photo Credit: @austinwolfff
Smith, 43, was arrested in June 2024 and has since been held without bond at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. According to federal prosecutors, Smith is accused of using an anonymous Telegram account between March 24 and March 28, 2024, to exchange hundreds of videos containing child pornography with another individual. That individual’s phone was later seized and searched by the FBI, leading investigators to Smith.
RELATED: Adult Film Star Austin Wolf Arrested on Child Pornography Charges
Following the seizure, an undercover FBI agent engaged in a series of online conversations with Smith, during which he reportedly revealed personal details confirming his identity. On April 21, 2024, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Smith’s Manhattan apartment. There, they reportedly discovered an SD card with hundreds of files, including graphic material involving children — some as young as infants. One particularly disturbing video reportedly depicted a 10-year-old child bound and raped.
Smith now faces two serious charges from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York: one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, and one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. It is important to note that these are the statutory guidelines, and final sentencing will be determined by the judge.
In a letter dated June 17, 2024, Smith’s defense attorney, Thomas H. Andrykovitz, informed U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer that Smith intends to plead guilty to a mandatory minimum charge. While the exact terms of the plea deal have not been disclosed, the letter signals that a prison sentence is expected.
Since his arrest, Smith has not publicly addressed the charges. His legal team has criticized the conditions of MDC Brooklyn, where he has been detained, citing concerns about overcrowding and limited access to legal counsel. The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed his detention but declined to comment on the specifics due to privacy and security regulations.
Although Smith once held a prominent place in the adult entertainment world, his arrest has sparked little surprise from some of his industry peers. Several have pointed to the youthful appearance of performers in his videos as a cause for longstanding concern.
As with all criminal cases, it’s important to remember that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But with a guilty plea expected in the coming weeks, this case marks a grim and deeply troubling chapter for someone once considered a recognizable name in adult entertainment.
NOTE: Tips can be submitted at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
You answer your own question, because he is a low level, porn star nobody?
Money, privilege, power , and connections still TRUMPS ( pun intended) all in our legal system.
MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!!!
Democracy is a joke.
Considering we have sexual predator in the White House, and the most powerful person on the planet, I’m wondering why this even a thing anymore.
The hypocrisy is disorienting. We extol the virtues of honesty, integrity and morality and yet we reward the one guy who does NOT model any of those qualities with money, fame and the highest office in the land.
If we’re rewarding a convicted felon and adjudged sexual predator with the presidency then why are we prosecuting this low level, pornstar nobody?
Well, I mean can you not answer that for yourself? It’s still illegal regardless if anyone else gets away with it and children were clearly harmed. Are you suggesting that if one person gets away with a heinous crime that everyone else should too? You need to readjust your thought process on this.