BOSTON (KTLA) -- University of Utah engineering professor was arrested Saturday after he was allegedly watching child pornography from his computer while on a commercial flight to Boston.
Grant D. Smith, 47, of Cottonwood Heights, was arrested at Logan International Airport in Boston after police say another passenger aboard the flight witnessed Smith allegedly looking at nude and partially nude photos of underage girls engaged in sex acts.
Police say Smith was looking at the photos from his laptop and that a man sitting a seat behind him saw the disturbing images.
The passenger called his son, who notified police.
When the plane landed at Boston Logan International Airport just after 4 p.m., troopers interviewed Smith and subsequently arrested him. Smith was supposed to attend an international engineering conference in Boston.
Prosecutors say Smith was flying first-class from Salt Lake City, allegedly looking at images of girls, ages 8 to 14, engaging in simulated sex acts with adult males.
Police confiscated Smiths laptop and found numerous files of pornography on the computer.
"It's just something that, it seems like it shouldn't happen ever, something, I mean on an airplane of all inappropriateness. That's definitely the worst to be caught by something like that, said University of Utah employee Rhett Jones.
He has been charged with possession of child pornography, and police say additional charges could follow. His bail is set at $15,000, and he's scheduled to be arraigned Monday.
Smith was in police custody Saturday night and couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Sources have told Fox 13 that Smith is a professor in the University of Utah's Dept. of Chemical Engineering who taught civil and materials engineering for 14 years. The university says it's aware of the arrest and is looking into whether Smith is indeed the University of Utah professor.
Grant D. Smith, 47, of Cottonwood Heights, was arrested at Logan International Airport in Boston after police say another passenger aboard the flight witnessed Smith allegedly looking at nude and partially nude photos of underage girls engaged in sex acts.
Police say Smith was looking at the photos from his laptop and that a man sitting a seat behind him saw the disturbing images.
The passenger called his son, who notified police.
When the plane landed at Boston Logan International Airport just after 4 p.m., troopers interviewed Smith and subsequently arrested him. Smith was supposed to attend an international engineering conference in Boston.
Prosecutors say Smith was flying first-class from Salt Lake City, allegedly looking at images of girls, ages 8 to 14, engaging in simulated sex acts with adult males.
Police confiscated Smiths laptop and found numerous files of pornography on the computer.
"It's just something that, it seems like it shouldn't happen ever, something, I mean on an airplane of all inappropriateness. That's definitely the worst to be caught by something like that, said University of Utah employee Rhett Jones.
He has been charged with possession of child pornography, and police say additional charges could follow. His bail is set at $15,000, and he's scheduled to be arraigned Monday.
Smith was in police custody Saturday night and couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Sources have told Fox 13 that Smith is a professor in the University of Utah's Dept. of Chemical Engineering who taught civil and materials engineering for 14 years. The university says it's aware of the arrest and is looking into whether Smith is indeed the University of Utah professor.
