You are the chosen one? Student Connor Smith has finally been arrested by police, more than a year after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
In February 2023, it emerged that the former MTV personality was wanted by police in Illinois after she allegedly attempted to engage in sexual acts with an undercover officer posing as a girl under the age of 15.
Smith, 33, who allegedly spent “weeks” interacting with the fake minor online before meeting her, was charged with physical grooming, traveling to meet a minor and disseminating harmful material.
The sting operation sparked a manhunt that lasted more than a year until Smith was arrested Thursday in Pinellas County, Florida. TMZ reports.
He was allegedly seen in Florida more than once, allowing authorities to locate him and take him into custody.
Connor Smith has finally been arrested by police, more than a year after a warrant was issued for his arrest; Pictured is his new mugshot from Pinellas County, Florida.
Smith is accused of spending “several weeks” having online sexual interactions with the undercover police officer.
He is said to have sent the teenager fake explicit material of himself and planned to meet them for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts.
The publication reports that Smith drove to meet the fake juvenile on February 9 and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office moved in to arrest him, before Smith fled in his truck.
A judge reportedly approved $1 million bail if Smith were caught and arrested.
Last February, Lake County officials claimed that Smith had indicated his intentions to surrender but had not done so. They asked for clues to locate him, while warning the public.
In 2021, Smith was arrested for allegedly raping and assaulting a 16-year-old girl.
The former reality star was arrested in Cook County, Illinois, although the crime allegedly occurred in Indiana, TMZ reported.
He was charged with one count of rape and sexual assault, along with two counts of criminal confinement.
Smith, pictured in Are You The One?, allegedly attempted to engage in sexual acts with an undercover officer posing as a girl under the age of 15.
Wanted: Smith, 32, was served with an arrest warrant issued in the state of Illinois after he allegedly interacted sexually with an undercover officer posing as a girl under the age of 15 for “several weeks” online (in the photo from a 2021 mug shot after his arrest for alleged rape)
Cast: In 2015, Smith was part of the cast of the MTV dating series Are You The One?, which featured a group of singles who were looking for a relationship and all moved in together: Smith is seen above left.
An arrest affidavit obtained by the publication describes a moving story of the teenager.
She reportedly told police that Smith had kidnapped her in July when she was visiting family in Indiana.
She claimed they first came into contact via Snapchat when she messaged someone about a cat they were selling and gave him the address of the house where she was staying.
The alleged victim said a man opened her bedroom window that night and dragged her out of her room, before forcing her into his truck and taking her to a motel when he prepared to sexually assault her.
But her story had changed in subsequent police interviews, and she later told authorities that she had sneaked out of her own volition to visit Smith after they matched on a dating app.
She told police she “immediately had a bad feeling” after encountering Smith in his truck, and alleged that he forced her to perform oral sex on him as they drove to the motel.
The teen claimed he slapped her repeatedly and even tried to strangle her during the harrowing trip, and once they were at the motel he allegedly urinated on her before forcing her to perform oral sex on him again.
She then said Smith drove her back to the house and told her he would return the next night to pick her up.
Photo: He is then said to have sent the teenager fake explicit material of himself and planned to meet them for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts.
Indiana prosecutors later dropped charges against Smith, saying they could not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, The Times of Northwest Indiana reported.
Smith’s lawyer, Maryam Afshar-Stewart, told the publication at the time: “While a firing is a step in the right direction, Mr. Smith has a long way to go to repair the damage caused by these false accusations. “.
In 2015, Smith was part of the cast of the MTV dating series Are You The One?, which featured a group of singles who were looking for a relationship and all moved in together.
The contestants were paired into ideal pairs thanks to a matching algorithm, and their task was to determine the chosen pairs, with a prize of up to $1 million to be shared between the contestants if they could correctly identify all the pairs.