99 years in prison without parole for man who sexually abused a five-year-old girl

Jefferson County – A man is beginning a 99-year sentence without parole for what Jefferson County prosecutors say was a horrific crime that stole the innocence of a little girl.

A jury in Judge John Stevens’ court convicted Peyton Smith, 30, of aggravated sexual assault of a child and opted for a sentence of 99 years in prison, the maximum sentence for a first-degree felony. Smith is not eligible for parole because the little girl was only five years old at the time of the attack in 2020.

He has been in the Jefferson County Jail since his arrest on May 15, 2020. Investigators say Smith recorded the attack in January 2020 on a 57-second video taken at a home in the Netherlands. It shows the girl lying on a white sheet with images of mermaids and fish as he attacks her.

The defense argued that the jury should not consider a life sentence, but instead opt for 25 years or a shorter sentence. He argued that he would be 55 when he was released and would still have time for his family.

“I hate to ask for pity or mercy in this case,” Smith’s attorney said, “but that’s exactly what I’m doing. Nothing he can do or say can make up for what you found him guilty of. I hope this girl has a happy life.” . It looks like she is in your hands with her adoptive parents.

Prosecutors had a very different message for the jury.

“I am incredibly angry about this case,” said Sonny Eckhart, the lead prosecutor. “I’ve been here for a long time. My team saw the video for the first time. It’s important that we only do this once. I have seen it many times to prepare the case. Nobody knows how bad it really is. I’m not going to argue about what I think you should do. No, his own story when he was a convicted felon He deserved to stay in prison for the rest of his life.

Smith has multiple felony convictions, including three DWIs and drug convictions from 2010.