On Tuesday afternoon, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office released details in the sentencing of a father and son who committed multiple child sex crimes in Orangevale decades ago.
Theodore Smith, a former Orangevale resident, was sentenced to 100 years in prison, while his son, James Smith, received 23 years to life. On Nov. 13, 2024, Theadore Smith pleaded no contest to 11 counts of committing forcible lewd acts upon a child and three counts of lewd acts upon a child. He also admitted to allegations of substantial sexual conduct and aggravating factors, including being in a position of trust and committing crimes requiring planning and sophistication.
James Smith pleaded no contest to two counts of committing lewd acts upon a child. He admitted to allegations involving multiple victims and substantial sexual conduct, as well as aggravating factors of being in a position of trust and committing crimes requiring planning and sophistication.
The charges against Theodore Smith stem from 1988, while James Smith’s charges date back to 1993. The case surfaced in 2021 when a citizen renovating an outbuilding at the Orangevale home where the Smiths had lived for more than 40 years discovered explicit Polaroid photos and videotapes hidden in the walls. The materials depicted child exploitation from the 1980s and 1990s. The homeowner contacted the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, prompting a detailed investigation.
Detectives identified the now-adult victims, who disclosed they had endured abuse for much of their early childhood, starting when they were under 5 years old. The victims had never reported the abuse to anyone except their spouses. While photographic and video evidence corroborated the abuse, California’s statute of limitations prevented charges for crimes committed before 1988.
However, prosecutors pursued charges for abuse that occurred after that year. Some of the crimes reportedly involved conspiracy between the father and son, and James Smith also molested an additional victim after 2010, according to the details shared in a press release from the District Attorney.
At the time of their arrests the Smith’s were living in Texas. Investigators found Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) at their Texas residence, and James Smith was apprehended in a vehicle en route to California with CSAM in his possession
