Former Student Transportation of America bus driver charged with possession of child pornography

Former Student Transportation of America bus driver Dakota Smith has been charged with possession of child pornography and tampering with physical evidence.

Deputies said the investigation began in July, when the Sheriff’s Department Cyber Crimes Task Force received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Deputies said the tip reported a subject thought to be in Boone County had uploaded child pornography to social media.

The Cyber Crimes Task Force investigation identified the social media account holder as Dakota Smith, who was living in Columbia.

Deputies said the pornography files being uploaded to the account were pictures of young boys indecently exposed.

Deputies said Smith’s cellphone was seized and child pornography was found on it.

According to the probable cause statement, a forensic examiner recovered multiple deleted images which depicted nude males some appearing as young as 6-years-old.