Popular Adult Film Star Accused Of Distributing Child Sex Abuse Material Over Telegram

A popular adult film star was arrested and accused of possessing and distributing hundreds videos showing child sex abuse through the encrypted chat app Telegram, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced Friday.

Justin Heath Smith, 43, known professionally as Austin Wolf, is charged with distribution and receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography, after federal authorities said they linked him to an anonymous Telegram account that shared child sex abuse materials.

Investigation into Smith began in April when FBI agents seized and searched a cellphone belonging to a different Telegram user, according to federal complaint.

Authorities’ search of the phone revealed the Telegram user had communicated with someone using the screen name “Anon Anon.” The two accounts had exchanged approximately 200 videos and images of child sexual abuse between March 24 and March 28, per the complaint.

The Telegram user told authorities that he and Smith had previously met in person and they gave a physical description of “Anon Anon” that matched the adult film star.

Agents then used the Telegram user’s account to covertly communicate with “Anon Anon,” or Smith. “Anon Anon” mentioned that he was traveling for work on April 14 and would return almost a week later, according to the complaint. A review of U.S. Customs and Border Protection records revealed that Smith was traveling between those dates.

Authorities executed a search of Smith’s Manhattan apartment after “Anon Anon” claimed that he kept child sexual abuse material on a computer in his room, according to the complaint. Law enforcement recovered an SD card in the computer room that contained about 200 videos of child sexual