A female babysitter was hit with a lengthy prison sentence after she sexually assaulted a child in her care and discussed committing the vile crime online. 

Kelly Rae Smith, 45, was sentenced to 52 years in prison on Wednesday by an Arizona superior court judge after pleading guilty to sexual assault of a minor and bestiality, according to the Yavapai County Superior Court docket. 

The investigation into Smith’s disturbing crimes began in April of 2024. Police received a tip at the time that she had been posting online about molesting children whom she babysat.

Throughout the investigation, authorities obtained child sexual abuse videos and found Smith’s posts in chat rooms discussing fantasies involving sex crimes against minors. 

Prosecutors also said they found a video of Smith engaging in sex acts with a service dog belonging to a family member. 

Smith was arrested in Prescott, a city outside of Sedona, in May of 2025, after a year-long criminal pursuit. 

She was sentenced to over five decades behind bars by Superior Court Judge Krista Carman on four counts of sexual assault against a child, three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child and one count of bestiality. 

If she outlives the sentence, Smith will be placed on probation and have to register as a sex offender. 

Kelly Rae Smith, 45, pictured above in a booking photo, was sentenced to 52 years in prison for sexual assault of a minor and bestiality

Smith has been barred from early release and will have to serve the entirety of her prison sentence behind bars. 

She received 10 months of credit for the time she spent in jail between her arrest and sentencing hearing. 

Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane said in a press release to local media that the case was ‘shocking’ and served as an example for why Arizona should impose the death penalty on sexual assault convictions against minors. 

‘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,’ he said.

‘Doing so would allow appropriate punishment for anyone who chooses to rape a child and will deter others from committing these heinous crimes.’

Arizona is one of 27 states that impose capital punishment, but only for first-degree murder convictions. 

Some states including, Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma, have passed legislation to authorize the death penalty for sexual assault or rape of a child. 

Capital punishment has not been authorized as a punishment for the rape of a child on the federal level.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that imposing the death penalty for rape or sexual assault when the child does not die was unconstitutional. 

However, Representative Nancy Mace introduced legislation last month titled the Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act to expand capital punishment for federal child sex crime convictions.