DURANGO, Colo. — The Durango Police Department announced in October that a former Durango teacher has been federally charged with coercion and enticement of a minor.
Benjamin Smith, 28, has been indicted on 48 federal charges. The charges included coercion and enticement of multiple minors and possession of child pornography.
According to the criminal complaint, on July 23, a Durango police officer spoke with a 16-year-old, identified as Minor No. 1, who said he had been suspicious of a Snapchat user that his friend, Minor No. 2, had been communicating with. The person was going by the username "MTNCHICK69" and identified themselves as a 16-year-old female and was engaging in sexually explicit conversations with Minor No. 2, the complaint says.
Minor No. 1 began a conversation with MTNCHICK69 and made plans to meet in a parking lot to engage in sexual acts, according to the complaint.
After investigating more, the Durango Police Department learned Smith was who Minor No. 1 met up with. Police then obtained a search warrant for Smith's home.
The search warrant led to Smith's arrest and booking on July 25 for child sexual exploitation and attempted sexual assault charges in La Plata County, according to court records. Those charges have been dismissed, according to court records. A federal indictment was handed down on Oct. 18 that detailed the 48 counts he is charged with.
At the time of the arrest in July, Smith was employed as a music teacher at Escalante Middle School in Durango, according to the complaint. According to the school district, he worked as a middle school music teacher from 2021 to 2024. Smith is no longer an employee of the Durango School District.
The district issued a statement to 9NEWS:
"We understand that the allegations involving one of our teachers are profoundly disturbing for our families, students, and staff. Such alleged actions, if true, would be heartbreaking and shocking. Our district has provided extensive in-person support and resources to staff and students affected by the alleged incidents.
As part of the district’s standard hiring practices, we conduct thorough background checks on all employees. After learning about the allegations, the district has cooperated with law enforcement in this ongoing investigation. We commend the law enforcement professionals on their promptness and thoroughness in this matter."
Durango police said Smith "posed as MTNCHICK69 to engage in predatorial behavior." Smith's encounters included sexual contact both in-person and online with 30 juvenile victims, Durango police said.
According to the federal indictment, the alleged crimes happened between October 2022 and July 2024.
The Durango Police Department believes there could be other victims. Anyone who has information relevant to the case is asked to reach out to Detective Josh Newman at josh.newman@durangoco.gov or 970-375-4733.
Anyone who had contact with Snapchat user MTNCHICK69 is asked to contact the Homeland Security Investigations tip line at 1-877-4-HSI-TIP.
Students who want to remain anonymous can use Safe2Tell by calling 1-877-543-7233, downloading the Safe2Tell app, texting "S2TCO" to 738477, or making a report online.
