A judge has denied a defense motion seeking to suppress evidence in the sex crimes case against former Woodlawn teacher Matthew K. Smith, 40, of Mt. Vernon.
Smith is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of grooming.
Judge Evan L. Owen ruled that a search warrant obtained by Jefferson County Detective Justin Titzer was valid and lawful. The defense sought to exclude evidence obtained from Smith’s cell phone that led to the grooming charge, arguing the alleged victim was 17 at the time.
Owen rejected the argument, ruling that requiring investigators to obtain an additional warrant to search Smith’s electronic communications would “simply be a technicality.”
The investigation began after Titzer interviewed the original alleged victim May 15th and later spoke with Woodlawn school staff. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department also received an anonymous tip alleging Smith had inappropriate relationships with female students. Investigators allege Smith exchanged thousands of text messages with alleged victims.
Smith remains free under pretrial conditions, including GPS monitoring. He is prohibited from having contact with anyone under 18 except his own children and must maintain a log of his computer activity.
His next court appearance is a pretrial hearing November 17th in Jefferson County Circuit Court in Mt. Vernon.