Former Greeley IT worker sentenced in child exploitation case

Published on August 03, 2026

GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A former Greeley IT worker was sentenced to prison this week after admitting to stealing computer hard drives containing child exploitation videos from the Greeley Police Department.

On Wednesday, Weld County District Court Judge Annette Kundelius sentenced Jacob Schmidt, 36, to 14 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Schmidt pled guilty in March to two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child (Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material) – Videos, Extraordinary Risk. The maximum sentence under Colorado law is 16 years in prison.

The case stemmed from an investigation by the Weld County Sheriff's Office. Schmidt was arrested on June 11, 2025, after investigators received multiple tips alleging he had uploaded child sexual abuse material to his phone in February 2025.

During the investigation, authorities determined Schmidt had removed hard drives from the Greeley Police Department without authorization while employed in the City of Greeley's Information Technology Department.

"The exploitation of children is one of the gravest offenses our office prosecutes,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Arynn Clark said. “Every image of child sexual abuse material represents the continued victimization of a child, and we won’t tolerate this type of cruel behavior in Weld County. We hope this sentence reassures our community that crimes involving the exploitation of children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

The Weld County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Chief Deputy District Attorney Arynn Clark prosecuted the case.