Arizona woman sentenced to over 50 years in prison for child molestation, bestiality

PHOENIX – An Arizona woman who admitted to committing sexual acts with a toddler she was babysitting and a service dog will be locked up until she is in her 90s, if she lives that long, authorities announced Friday.

The Prescott Valley Police Department started investigating 45-year-old Kelly Rae Smith in April 2024 after getting a tip from somebody who knew her, according to the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office.

The acquaintance told police Smith made online comments about molesting children that she babysat. The tipster also reported seeing a video of Smith engaging in sexual acts with a service dog belonging to a family member, prosecutors said.

Investigators found videos of Smith engaging in sexual acts with the dog and sexually assaulting a toddler she was watching. They also uncovered other child sexual abuse videos and chat room posts describing fantasies involving sex crimes against children.

How long will Arizona woman be behind bars for ‘shocking’ crimes

Smith was arrested in May 2025 and eventually pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault against a child, three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child and one count of bestiality.

On Wednesday, Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Krista Carman sentenced Smith to 52 years in prison. The plea deal stipulated that she must serve the entire sentence, so she won’t be eligible for release until 2077. If she lives long enough to get out, she will be placed on lifetime sex offender probation.

Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane believes the “shocking” case shows why the death penalty should be an option for adults who sexually assault children.

“I hope this case motivates the Arizona Legislature to allow juries to impose the death penalty in cases where an adult sexually assaults a child,” McGrane said in a press release. “Doing so would allow appropriate punishment for anyone who chooses to rape a child and will deter others from committing these heinous crimes.”

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