Evergreen Reporter

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado has announced charges against Benjamin Vincent Smith, a 28-year-old from Durango, Colorado. Smith faces allegations of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, as well as possession of child pornography.

Smith, who was previously employed as a music teacher at Escalante Middle School in Durango, allegedly used the social media platform Snapchat to impersonate a 16-year-old female under the username "MTNCHICK69." According to the complaint, Smith contacted Minor #1 under this false identity and arranged a meeting in a parking lot for a sexual encounter. Following the encounter, Minor #1 reported the incident to law enforcement authorities, leading to Smith being identified as the suspect.

During their investigation, authorities seized Smith's phone and conducted a search pursuant to a warrant. The search reportedly uncovered numerous photographs depicting minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These images are said to involve over two dozen school-age minors residing in the Durango area.

It is important to note that these charges are currently allegations. As with any case, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Individuals with information relevant to this investigation or those who had interactions with "MTNCHCK69" are urged to contact the Homeland Security Investigation tip line at 1-877-4-HSI-TIP.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Durango Police Department. The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey K. Graves.