Milwaukee trauma specialist sentenced to 25 years for sexually assaulting children

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee trauma specialist convicted of sexually assaulting children was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 18. 

Fifty-one-year-old Cornelius Smith was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by 10 years of extended supervision. 

According to a criminal complaint, Smith sexually abused and beat four boys he had either adopted or fostered. 

For the past 12 years, Smith worked as a trauma specialist and mental health counselor, helping families impacted by homicide and drug overdoses. 

But behind the scenes, Smith allegedly sexually assaulted four boys that were in his care hundreds of times and beat them when they would not comply.

During a sentencing hearing Wednesday, Judge David Swanson said, "The way you used your intelligence, and then your education, to target and take advantage of these children, makes you, in a sense, even more dangerous. It's hard to shock me, but I will say this case has shocked me."

"You were engaging in this for many years, involved many victims, assaulted a number of young boys and men. You essentially set up your entire life around enabling these assaults," Swanson said.

All of Smith's victims were under the age of 18, with some as young as 11.