TOOELE, Utah — A former safety chief at the Tooele Army Depot is behind bars, facing 33 felony charges of sexual crimes against children.
According to a probable cause statement, 47-year-old Jamison Smith was arrested in March and accused of abusing three child victims at different periods of time from 1988 through 2021.
One victim said they were 12-13 years old at the time and they were always alone when the abuse happened. They said it happened often over a two-year span, from 1988-1990.
Another victim said Smith abused them weekly from 1991-1995, when they were just 8-12 years old. They went on to say in the probable cause statement that Smith abused them in the victim's basement when everyone was upstairs, when everyone was asleep, or when the victim's parents were not home.
The third victim detailed abuse that allegedly took place over a nine-year period, from 2012 through 2021.
The victim said Smith came up with a system he called "plus one," in which if the victim did a favor for him, he would do a favor for the victim.
The probable cause statement says that in April of 2021, Smith sent a threatening email to the victim, saying that he knew where they were and he would come and get them if they told anyone about the abuse.
FOX 13 News spoke with Jesse Nix, a local criminal defense lawyer with Conyers & Nix, about this case.
"As someone who represents many people accused of sex crimes, this is one of the worst I've ever seen," said Nix.
He said one thing that stuck out to him after reading the probable cause statement was the specificity of the victims when describing the abuse they said took place.
"What is interesting about this case is the victims were very clear on when the allegation occurred, where they were, so that's why you have so many charges," he said.
Nix said the number of charges, including 16 first-degree felonies, will come with some pretty serious consequences if Smith is found guilty.
"It's 25 years to life, and the judge could stack them, meaning the defendant could serve consecutive life sentences," Nix said.
The Tooele Army Depot confirmed to FOX 13 News on Tuesday Smith worked there as the safety chief. They went on to say the Army takes allegations against their employees seriously.
In a charging document, Smith pleaded not guilty to all 33 charges. A motion hearing is scheduled for Sep. 13 at 3 p.m. in the 3rd District Court.
According to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office website, Smith remains behind bars without bail.
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Resources for sexual assault victims:
- Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault hotline: 801-736-4356
- More resources available online at ucasa.org/resources
