Video summary
A Paintsville man named Robert Smith appeared in Johnson County Judicial Court to face serious charges related to domestic violence, assault, and the possession of destructive devices. During his preliminary hearing, Sergeant Justin Jackson testified that Smith's home was booby-trapped with homemade bombs made from CO2 cartridges and gunpowder, creating a dangerous environment for officers and residents. The testimony revealed particularly disturbing details provided by Smith's wife, who stated she had been tied to a tree while her husband shot arrows at her, held a knife to her throat, and threatened to blow her up before committing suicide. Given the severity of these allegations and the unique dangers posed by the traps, the court found probable cause to send the case to a grand jury, though Smith remains out on a $100,000 bond while being held at the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center.
In another significant law enforcement development, a 31-year-old man from Prestonsburg, identified as Jimmy Ray Brown, was arrested following an early morning raid on his apartment complex. Assisted by federal, state, and local police, investigators executed a search warrant after an FBI investigation linked Brown's internet connection to the downloading and sharing of child pornography via BitTorrent over a three-month period. The affidavit indicated that approximately 1,800 instances of suspected child abuse material were associated with his account before authorities traced the activity from Logan County back to his residence in Prestonsburg. Brown faces one count of possessing child pornography at this time, with additional charges potentially emerging after a federal grand jury reviews the full scope of the case, and he is currently detained at the Laurel County Correctional Center pending his appearance in federal court.
The broadcast also highlighted local community efforts through the upcoming "Dancing for Shelter" event, which will take place on October 17th at the Mountain Arts Center to raise funds for the Floyd County Homeless Shelter. Hosted by Robin Tillman, who is participating as a competitor alongside Adam McGuire, the event features a variety of dance styles including a samba routine that Tillman has been rehearsing intensively. The fundraiser relies heavily on public support, with preliminary voting available before the main competition where each vote costs a dollar and contributes to both the prize money and the overall fundraising goal. Last year's event raised around $50,000, making this annual gathering a critical source of financial support that keeps the shelter operational throughout the year.
The program concluded with brief segments covering local sports achievements, including congratulations to Cameron Roberts for being named AAC Golfer of the Week and a recap of Tug Valley's volleyball victory against Chapmanville. Additionally, the video featured promotional content for Appalachian Wireless, emphasizing their commitment to providing reliable, local service without hidden fees or confusing billing practices. These segments rounded out the daily news update, offering viewers a mix of serious legal updates, heartwarming community stories, and essential information about upcoming events and services in the region.
Read the full video transcript
A Paintsville man appears in court to
answer charges of assault and possession
of destructive devices. And a
Prestonsburg man is arrested after
police search his home for child porn.
I'm Robin Tillman and this is the
Mountain Top Daily.
A Paintsville man who was the subject of
a domestic violence call last week that
kept police busy with booby traps and
homemade bombs appeared in court this
morning to see if his case would be
heard by a grand jury. I was in the
courtroom to find out what happened.
Robert Smith, the Paintsville man
accused of abusing his wife, fleeing and
assaulting police, booby trapping his
property, and possessing homemade bombs,
appeared in Johnson County Judicial
Court today for a preliminary hearing.
Sergeant Justin Jackson took the stand,
laying out the events of what happened
that night, and answering questions from
the prosecutor. Jackson shared
information that hadn't been stated in
the original citation, explaining that
the two bombs found in the home had been
made of CO2 cartridges and gunpowder.
He also shared that Smith's wife told
officers that Smith had tied her to a
tree and shot arrows at her, held a
knife to her throat, and told her he was
going to blow her up and then commit
suicide.
>> The worst case scenario goes through
your mind, you know? I mean, it's not
every day that
you're just walking through a a hill and
encounter eye-level
treble hook fish hooks, you know?
Obviously, you're worried about
yourself. You're worried about, you
know, your other officers that's that's
with you. I mean, that's a very, very,
very unusual.
Given the
circumstances and given the totality of
everything,
um you know, obviously, you you don't
think that it's going to end well when
it's like that.
>> After his testimony, Smith's attorney
requested that his client undergo a
psychiatric evaluation. District Judge
Brent Butcher found probable cause to
send it to the grand jury. The bond
remains at $100,000.
Smith is being held at the Big Sandy
Regional Detention Center in
Paintsville.
An early morning raid at a Prestonsburg
apartment complex has resulted in the
arrest of a 31-year-old man on a federal
child pornography charge.
Jimmy Ray Brown was arrested Wednesday
after the FBI, assisted by Kentucky
State Police and Prestonsburg Police,
executed a search warrant at his home at
Cliffside Apartments shortly after 6:00
a.m.
Brown is charged with one count of
possessing child pornography.
Additional charges are possible
following review of the case by a
federal grand jury.
The arrest follows an FBI investigation
into the downloading and sharing of
child pornography through the BitTorrent
file sharing service.
According to an FBI affidavit,
investigators linked Brown's internet
connection to approximately 1,800
instances of suspected child pornography
being possessed or exchanged over a
period of just over 3 months.
Investigators initially traced the
internet connection to Logan County,
West Virginia, before determining it was
actually being used at Brown's apartment
in Prestonsburg.
Brown is being held at the Laurel County
Correctional Center in London. He is
scheduled to appear in federal court in
London Thursday afternoon.
Coming up after the break, Dancing for
Shelter is a little over a month away.
We'll bring you a preview when the
Mountain Top Daily continues, but first,
sports and weather.
>> Woohoo!
One year.
I need a birthday hat or something.
How's it going, sports fans? I'm Destiny
Fouty, and this is your Mountain Top
Sports Recap. Mountain Top Sports would
like to congratulate U Pike's Cameron
Roberts on being named the AAC Golfer of
the Week after the team came off a big
win in the Maggie Mountain Invitational
last week. In volleyball action last
night, Tug Valley pulled away with a 3-2
win against Chapmanville. Tug Valley
took the match with sets of 22-25,
25-15, 25-20, 20-25, and 15-7. Don't
forget to tune in tonight to the Hail
podcast. It goes live on the Mountain
Top Sports Facebook and TV app at 6:00
p.m. Don't want to miss that. That's
your Mountain Top Sports recap. Be sure
to follow Mountain Top Sports on
Facebook, Instagram, and X for the
latest in sports, or visit
mountain-topsports.com.
That's it for me. Happy 1 year, and see
you guys next time. Where's my party
hat?
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>> Dancing for Shelter is coming up at the
Mountain Arts Center next month offering
a night of entertainment to raise money
for the Floyd County Homeless Shelter.
Jackson brings us a preview of the event
and speaks to one of this year's new
dancers, me.
>> On October 17th, 2026, one of Mountain
Top's own will be participating in this
year's annual Dancing for Shelter event.
This event is hosted at the Mountain
Arts Center in Prestonsburg. Here is
Robin Tillman to tell us more.
>> Okay, so this is Dancing for Shelter. It
is a It's basically Dancing with the
Stars on the local level. Takes place in
Prestonsburg at the MAC and it is a
fundraiser for the Floyd County Homeless
Shelter. So,
I got to enter. I'm competing as one of
the stars.
Uh I'm dancing with Adam McGuire who won
last year. No pressure.
But uh yeah, we're doing a samba. I'm
stoked. I love dancing. Absolutely love
dancing. Um but as we do more and more
rehearsals,
I'm learning that uh dancing is hard.
Like when you actually get into like the
positions and the technique, it is a
full body workout and it can actually be
very frustrating and difficult, but it's
still fun and I'm excited.
>> Tillman had the opportunity to cover
this event last year as a reporter and
is working hard this year as a
competitor.
>> So, I reported on this last year, last
November. I did like a preview and then
I was there the night of and like I
said, I love dance. So, I was just like
enamored and I was like, I have to be
part of this next year.
So, I contacted Mickey McGuire, the
organizer, and I was like, how do I how
do I sign up? And he was like, contact
me next June. So, I did. I started
pestering him in June and I was like,
can I please do this? Can I please do
this? Can I please do this?
And here I am.
We are on rehearsal number
six, I think, something like that. And
we just went to twice a week. We were at
once a week and now we're at twice a
week and we're doing a samba, which is a
Latin dance.
>> Before the event begins, there's a
preliminary voting period. You can vote
for Robin and Adam using this QR code.
>> So, the actual competition is October
17th, I think it's 7:00 p.m., but it is
October 17th. But, uh leading up to
that, you can vote for us. It's a dollar
a vote, and that is partially how they
raise money, and it's also plays It
factors into how we win. So, it's my
understanding that the votes, like the
preliminary votes, count as like 1/3 of
your chance to win. You need to go.
Everybody needs to go. You need to
donate. If you can't go the night of,
you at least need to donate, because it
is It is the Floyd County Homeless
Shelter's primary fundraiser that, you
know, keeps them going all year. And I
think they raised like $50,000 last
year. So, this is a huge event. So, if
you can't be there, at least donate and
support the cause.
>> Reporting for Mountain Top News, I'm
Jackson Lucas.
>> That will do it for this edition of the
Mountain Top Daily. Be sure to check us
out at 6:00 p.m. every weekday on
Mountain Top TV, the Mountain Top TV
app, and the Mountain Top News Facebook
page. With your Mountain Top Daily, I'm
Robin Tillman for Mountain Top News.