Andrea Grajeda
Greeley Tribune, Colo.
GREELEY, Colo. — A former Greeley employee was sentenced to 14 years in prison for stealing hard drives containing child sexual abuse material while he was working for the city’s information technology department.
Jacob Schmidt, 36, was sentenced to 14 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections by Weld County Judge Annette Kundelius during a Wednesday sentencing hearing.
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He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of child videos — extreme risk, as part of a March plea agreement. Six charges of sexual exploitation of child videos — extreme risk and three charges of child sexual exploitation — induce or entice were dismissed as part of the plea deal, according to Colorado court records.
He was also sentenced to pay over $4,000 in court fees and charges and will serve at least three years of parole after getting out of prison. He will also have to register as a sex offender when he gets out.
Schmidt is no longer employed by the city, according to Greeley Public Information Officer Kim Kappel .
Kundelius said during the hearing that Schmidt’s crime was unique, but not victimless. While he did not physically hurt anyone, Kundelius said he has harmed the community’s trust in police and the criminal justice system. When people go to police to report child sexual abuse videos, Kundelius said they are trusting police with something very personal and intimate and Schmidt has violated that trust by taking that sensitive information for his own use.
“You need substantial treatment, not something you do for a few years and get through,” Kundelius said.
Schmidt believes his actions were victimless because, according to his pre-sentence investigation, no one was physically hurt, Deputy District Attorney Arynn Clark said. But Clark and Kundelius pointed out the child sexual abuse material videos he took were of real people.
Schmidt said he understands he has issues, and plans to treat them while in prison.
“I strongly apologize for my mistakes, and I intend to correct them,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt’s defense attorney Makayla Gallegos said Schmidt has repeatedly said he plans to seek treatment while in prison, and though he may struggle to see how his actions were not victimless, he does understand the gravity of the crime.
Schmidt was arrested June 11, 2025, after Weld County Sheriff’s Office deputies started getting multiple tips about Schmidt uploading child sexual abuse material videos to his phone in February 2025. During an interview at the sheriff’s office, Schmidt told deputies he did watch the child sexual abuse material videos because he has a pornography addiction that lead down “dark rabbit holes”, according to his arrest affidavit. He told deputies he would take hard drives from the Greeley Police Department without permission, according to the affidavit, but wasn’t always sure if they contained child sexual abuse material.
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