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08/16/2024 04:46 PMOn Aug. 16, Guilford Police Department (GPD) reported the arrest of a Guilford resident, Lauren Smith, 45, following a child pornography investigation linked to a residence in Guilford. Related information shared by North Branford town and police officials confirm the investigation into Smith, a part-time Town of North Branford library employee, resulted in placing her on administrative leave as of July 25.
According to a press release issued by GPD, on Aug. 16, Smith was charged by GPD on a warrant with violation of C.G.S. 53a-196d: Possession of Child Pornography in the First Degree. She was released on a $100,000 bond and is due to appear in court on Monday, Aug. 19.
On Aug. 16, North Branford Chief of Police James Lovelace and North Branford Town Manager Michael Downes issued statements regarding town actions and NBPD involvement in the matter.
Lovelace stated, in part, that internal investigations by NBPD have not, to date, located any violations involving Smith accessing Town databases or internet services during the period of investigation involved in the warrant. Read Lovelace’s full statement below.
Downes stated, in part, “The charges are serious and distressing, as the employee was a desk worker occasionally detailed to the children’s library, though they were never involved in any children’s programming.” Read Downe’s full statement below.
Full statement by North Branford Chief of Police James Lovelace:
“The North Branford Police Department, in conjunction with the Guilford Police Department, State and Federal law enforcement partners conducted a search at a residence in the Town of Guilford for an investigation relating to Child Pornography. Previous to this incident, this department in conjunction with regional partners have created a regional computer crimes team and have been and will continue to investigate any and all incidents and information developed related to these crimes. This is an ongoing investigation as Federal, State and the South Central Regional Computer Crimes team continue to process the evidence in this incident. These investigations are time consuming and very intensive and require extensive expertise and training to gather all digital and physical evidence related to any crime. This investigation is in its early stages, and we cannot release further detailed information at this time.
Any crime against a child is abhorrent, disgusting and inexcusable. We take these incidents with the upmost importance and conduct swift and thorough investigations.
During this executed search warrant, a suspect was developed and it was learned that this suspect was employed by the Town of North Branford. Immediately following this disclosure appropriate personnel were notified to immediately begin administrative procedures. A new internal investigation was conducted concerning this employee’s access and searches related to any further evidence or crimes. The Town previously has installed safeguards to prevent or detect crimes of this nature. As of this time we have not located any violations as it relates to the time this individual was accessing Town databases or internet services.
The North Branford Police department and the South Central Computer Crime team will continue to identify, investigate and prosecute any and all computer crimes, especially crimes against children. We understand how disturbing this information is to hear and read, as we too are extremely disturbed to investigate these incidents. However, we find it prudent to be transparent with our residents as we value our partnership with our community and regional partners.”
Full statement issued by Town Manager Michael Downes:
“On July 25 I was notified by the Guilford Police and North Branford Police that one of our part-time library employees, Lauren Smith of Guilford, was the subject of a criminal investigation they were conducting concerning the possession of child pornography. I immediately placed that employee on administrative leave pending the investigation, prohibiting them from returning to their place of employment. The charges are serious and distressing, as the employee was a desk worker occasionally detailed to the children’s library, though they were never involved in any children’s programming.
The Guilford Police Department asked us not to notify the public until they were prepared to make their arrest, so as not to jeopardize their investigation, which is standard operating procedure. We are notified that this arrest has taken place today, and so we are now making this information public at our earliest opportunity.
At this point there is no evidence that the employee perpetrated any illegal activity in their capacity as an employee of the town or by utilizing any town equipment, facilities, or media. We are grateful for the prompt and thorough work of the North Branford Police Department who have investigated the employee’s activity while on the job, have found no evidence of any illegal activity taking place in her workplace, and have closed that investigation. The ongoing larger investigation is focusing on the employee’s home residence in Guilford. The North Branford Police Department are assisting with this investigation, in conjunction with state and federal authorities, and we hope it will proceed quickly and thoroughly.“
Full Press Release from Guilford Police Department:
“On June 21, 2024, the Guilford Police Department received a tip from an out-of-state law enforcement agency in regard to a child pornography investigation that was linked to a residence in the Town of Guilford. The Guilford Police Department Detective Unit began an investigation immediately with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security.
On July 25, 2024, the Guilford Police Department Detective Unit, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and the North Branford Police Department, executed a search warrant at a residence on Flat Iron Road in Guilford related to the child pornography investigation. During the search, it was confirmed that the subject of the investigation was an employee of the Town of North Branford. Notification was made to the Town of North Branford immediately following the search and town officials took the necessary action to prevent the employee from returning to the workplace while the investigation was still underway, in consideration of the nature of this investigation. Investigative findings and evidence collected during the search, after extensive review, yielded probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant.
On August 16, 2024, an arrest warrant was signed and served on Lauren Smith (Age: 45) for violation of C.G.S. 53a-196d: Possession of Child Pornography in the First Degree. She was released on a $100,000.00 bond and is due to appear in court on August 19, 2024.
Cyber investigations of this magnitude are highly complex and require an extensive amount of investigative time, effort, and patience. The Guilford Police Department remains committed to completing these investigations in a timely and thorough manner in order to keep Guilford and surrounding communities safe from these and related criminal activities. These complex investigations are supported by exceptional partnerships with other law enforcement and criminal justice organizations at the local, state, and federal level. We are deeply appreciative of the assistance received from the Department of Homeland Security, Town of North Branford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Office of the State’s Attorney – Judicial District of New Haven. We are also appreciative of the support received from the Town of North Branford’s administration in taking the immediate employment action necessary to protect the public while also maintaining the integrity of this investigation while an arrest was still pending.
Although an arrest has been made, this is still an active investigation, and the integrity of this investigation remains of paramount concern. You can follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on any future news releases should they become available.
The members of the Guilford Police Department want to take a final moment to thank our community for your constant support, engagement, and partnership. We are at our best when our community stands beside us, and we will continue to give you our absolute best every day to keep Guilford safe.“