Case dismissed against woman accused of sending child porn

Complaining witness fails to show up for key evidentiary hearing

If the woman changes her mind and would like to pursue the charges, they could be refiled.

The case against a woman accused of sending an explicit video of a Harrison Township child to the child’s mother and threatening to share it has been dismissed after the victim’s mother didn’t show up to testify against her.

Shanel Williams-Smith, 25, was charged with aggravated distribution or promotion child pornography, a 15-year felony, and using a computer to commit a crime, a 10-year felony, for the incident last June. But the charges were dismissed Tuesday by Judge Carrie Fuca of 41B District Court in Clinton Township.

Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Patrick Sierawski told Fuca the complaining witness failed to show up and wasn’t answer telephone calls Tuesday when the case was scheduled for a preliminary examination, in which the judge would determined whether there is probable cause to advance the case to Macomb Circuit Court in Mount Clemens.

Fuca granted Williams-Smith’s attorney, Cameron Bell, his verbal request to dismiss the charges. She dismissed the case “without prejudice,” meaning charges could be brought up again.

Sierawski said the woman had indicated she would testify and was surprised she failed to come to court Tuesday afternoon.

He

said if the woman changes her mind and would like to pursue the charges, they could be refiled.

“We could have that discussion,” Sierawski said, adding the woman would have to provide a valid reason for failing to show up.

Williams-Smith was charged in September for sending the video three months before. She had a dispute with the victim’s mother over a property damage report the Macomb County woman filed in June, authorities said. Williams-Smith believes she had been falsely accused in the report and threatened to release a video of child sexually abusive activity in retaliation, officials added.

Williams-Smith had been free on a $20,000 personal bond and was restricted by a magistrate from using a computer or internet outside of work.