Former Colorado music teacher faces child seduction and child pornography charges

A former music teacher at Escalante Middle School in Durango, Colorado, is facing serious charges related to child sexual exploitation. Benjamin Vincent Smith, 28, has been charged with one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography.

According to the complaint, Smith allegedly used the social media platform Snapchat to pose as a 16-year-old girl under the username “MTNCHICK69.” He then contacted a minor and, under this false pretext, enticed the minor to meet him in a parking lot for a sexual encounter. The minor reported the incident to police, who were able to identify Smith as the suspect.

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During the subsequent investigation, police seized Smith’s phone and executed a search warrant. They are said to have discovered numerous photos of underage children engaged in sexually explicit behavior. The images appear to belong to more than twenty school-age minors living in the Durango area.

It is important to note that the charges against Smith are accusations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The United States Attorney’s Office encourages anyone with information regarding this investigation or who has had any contact with the Snapchat username “MTNCHCK69” to contact the Homeland Security Investigation Tip Line at 1-877-4-HSI -TIP.

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The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Durango Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey K. Graves.

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