Former Durango teacher facing federal charges for sex crimes against children; police seek more victims
Denver 7 News
DURANGO, Colo. A former Durango middle school teacher is facing federal charges for sex crimes against children, but law enforcement believe there could be more victims.
Benjamin Vincent Smith, 28, of Durango, a former music teacher at Escalante Middle School, is accused of posing as a 16-year-old girl on SnapChat under username MTNCHICK69 before meeting with a minor for sex.
The minor reported the incident to law enforcement, who were able to identify Smith as the suspect.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized Smiths phone and searched it after obtaining a warrant.
Prosecutors said Smith allegedly possessed numerous photographs of children engaging in sexually explicit acts. The images belonged to over two dozen school-age children living in the Durango area.
The FBI Denver Field Office and the Durango Police Department believe there may be more juvenile victims and are asking for them to come forward.
The United States Attorneys Office encourages anyone with information related to this investigation or who had any contact with MTNCHCK69 to contact the Homeland Security Investigation tip line at: 1-877-4-HSI-TIP. The case number is 24-mj-00185-JMC.