Two adults were arrested this week after a teen party turned into a pornographic video shoot. Eagle River residents Leah Smothers, 47, and Steffany Barron-Moustafa, 23, were charged with exploitation and sexual abuse of minors following a May 1 incident during which they allegedly provided alcohol to teenagers, then participated in sexual acts with them and taped it for Internet distribution.
The charges were brought after a videotape surfaced following the incident, in which the women allegedly convinced the intoxicated teens to perform sexually on film. According to reports, the events took place in Smothers’ trailer. Mark Thomas of the Anchorage Police Department said, “[The video footage] transitions into what appears to be a bedroom, and five juveniles sitting around the room with one of the juveniles in the middle of the room, the center of attention, drinking alcohol, his underwear is removed by Leah.” Though Thomas said the footage was “very graphic”– and that the identities of participants were clear – it is not clear what specific sexual acts took place in the video.
The family member of a teen who was present at the party and discovered the tape, which may have been leaked to the Internet, reportedly clued in authorities to the video. “It could be damaging to these kids for the rest of their lives,” Thomas said. “It is not something that you want to have on the Internet of yourself. It’s a shocking video that was done and produced at a juvenile party with a lot of alcohol, and two parents who didn’t seem to care what was going on.”
In addition to the charges brought against Smothers and Barron-Moustafa (both of whom have prior felonies on their records), three minors were also arrested for their involvement in the incident. While one of those minors has been released to her parents, two are being held in McLaughlin
