Fernley man arrested on charges of crimes against children

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

A Fernley man was arrested Wednesday on charges of crimes against children after an investigation resulted in a search warrant being served at his home.

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office major crimes investigators, specials agents from the Department of Homeland Security and members of the Northern Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant at the home of 29-year old Corey Lane Smith in Fernley. In early March, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations contacted LCSO regarding an ongoing months-long investigation into the viewing of child pornography on the internet. The investigators identified Smith as the suspect who was using the internet to knowingly and willfully view child pornography.

During Wednesday’s search, investigators found evidence of child pornography-related internet activity as recently as March 12.

LCSO said Smith admitted in a subsequent interview to using the internet to view child pornography and to sexually assaulting a child in 2021.

Smith was arrested and booked into the Lyon County Jail on charges of sexual assault of a child under the age of 14 and use of the internet to control visual presentation depicting sexual conduct of a person under 16 years of age. His bail was set at $110,000.

Anyone with any information about the case is urged to contact detective sergeant Erik Kusmerz at (775) 463-6600, Ext. 3007.