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The birth father of abused boy Tony Hudgell has been released from a British prison after serving six years of his 10-year sentence.
The Sun reports Anthony Smith, 54, was released from prison on September 8, subject to strict GPS monitoring conditions.
He was convicted of two child abuse chargesin 2018, four years after Tony was discovered in a state of sepsis and organ failure at their Kent home.
Smith and the boy’s birth mother, Jody Simpson, caused him the critical injuries when he was 41 days old.
Now 10, Tony is the youngest ever recipient of a British honour, fundraising over £2 million ($4.6m) for Evelina Children’s Hospital, according to 7News.
He was adopted by Mark and Paula Hudgell in 2016 after being fostered by the couple since he was 6 weeks old.
Paula admitted the news of Smith’s release was “hard to take”.
Anthony Smith, was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment but is being released after serving six. Photo / Kent Police
“Smith is a danger to children and, if he doesn’t get recalled in the next two years for breaching his licence, he will be free to do as he pleases.
“The only good thing is that he will be heavily monitored for the next two years. But I worry what will happen after that,” she said.
“This system is clearly broken – we need something to stop child abusers from acting in this way again.”
A spokesperson for the UK Probation Service told the Sun that Smith will be immediately recalled to prison if he breaks any of the conditions of his release.
Simpson was also released from prison in June after serving six years of her sentence.
She was initially released on parole in 2023 before being recalled to prison in 2024 when it was revealed she was dating a sex offender.
At the time of Simpson’s release, Paula said it “feels very unfair” the 34-year-old is free while “Tony is still dealing with the consequences of her actions and will be for life”.
