A federal jury in Tulsa has found Kaleb Scott Smith, 34, of Nowata and a member of the Osage Nation, guilty of one count of sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country and two counts of abusive sexual contact with a minor in Indian Country.
The case began in September 2024 when a 14-year-old reported to her parent that Smith had sexually abused her. The parents provided law enforcement with a photograph showing their daughter and Smith under a blanket, with his arm around her and his hand on her upper thigh. Authorities also searched the minor’s cellphone as part of their investigation.
During the trial, the minor testified that she stayed overnight at Smith’s house for his birthday in July 2024. She stated that Smith flipped the waistband of her clothing and touched her buttocks. The following morning, he showed her a nude photo of himself.
Testimony from both Smith’s daughter and the victim described another incident at a casino hotel room. They recounted lying on a bed watching social media videos while Smith lay with them. According to their testimony, Smith cuddled with the victim under a blanket and rubbed his crotch against her back. When she moved to another bed, he followed and repeated this behavior.
A third incident took place during an overnight stay at Smith’s house in September 2024 involving Smith’s daughter, the victim, and another friend. All three girls testified about that night. One friend recalled opening the bedroom door after hearing giggling and seeing Smith on top of the victim before closing it again out of discomfort. Later evidence indicated further abuse occurred that night; DNA analysis confirmed that bodily fluids belonging to both Smith and the victim were present on his bed.
Law enforcement interviews revealed additional allegations from another girl who said that when she was 13 years old, Smith made inappropriate comments about her body and slapped her buttocks. After she turned 14, he allegedly commented on her appearance while she wore only a towel and touched her breast.
Smith was taken into custody pending sentencing at a future date.
The Bartlesville Police Department and FBI led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Hockenbury and Matthew Cyran prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation by coordinating federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims nationwide. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
