Big Arm man accused of sex crimes moved to Toole County

A Big Arm man accused of sex crimes against children is lodged in the Crossroads Correctional Facility in Toole County.

Billy Dean Smith, 55, is facing several felony child pornography charges following an investigation by the FBI.

He was charged in Missoula’s U.S. District Court with sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

He entered his plea March 5 in Missoula before Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto.

Smith appeared March 18 in Missoula for a pre-trial conference and was transferred to Crossroads following the hearing.

A representative from the U.S. Marshals Service in Billings said Smith was taken to Crossroads to free up space in Missoula.

Smith’s trial date is set for May 4 in Missoula. He is represented by federal public defender John Rhodes.

According to court documents, Smith allegedly is a member of an online group where members are known to discuss the online exploitation of children and trade child pornography. An undercover agent advised FBI officials that Smith allegedly distributed child pornography within the group, and allegedly admitted to the undercover agent in a message that he sexually abused a child.

A federal search warrant was issued Feb. 6 for Smith’s Big Arm home and vehicle, and he was arrested the next day. According to court documents, FBI agents found child pornography on his phone during the arrest, and Smith subsequently admitted to creating and distributing child pornography.