CORYDON, KY (WFIE) -
A Henderson County man is facing more than 5,000 child pornography charges...
47-year-old John W. Smith was arrested at his Corydon home after an undercover investigation.
Smith's arrest is one in a long list of recent child pornography arrests in the Tri-State, but are they connected?
Kentucky State Police says that arrest followed a search warrant of Smith's home in Corydon.
KSP says Smith is charged with 5,400 counts of "possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor", that's a Class D felony.
State police say detectives took material from Smith's home that were used to possess or distribute pornography and turned them over to state forensics for investigation.
KSP Trooper Corey King tells us state police have arrested several people on child exploitation charges over the past several months, but it's too early to tell if any of those cases are related.
One Corydon resident tells 14 News her teens know Smith and she says now it's hard to know who you can trust.
"Especially in a little town, in all this church community and everything, it'd be more safe," said Jackie Brown. "If they were involved, if he took pictures with them, any of that because you know, now I'm very concerned."
John Smith is in the Henderson County Detention Center on $50,000 bond.
The Henderson County Clerk's office tells us Smith is due in court for a pre-trial on December 6 and that more charges will follow.
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John W. Smith. Source: Henderson County Jail
