Former MTV star Connor Smith, who appeared in “Are You The One?” in 2015, was arrested in Florida following a year-long manhunt.
Smith was brought into custody on Thursday over a year after police in Illinois first issued an arrest warrant for the 33-year-old, according to TMZ.
The former reality star went on the run after allegedly being caught interacting with an undercover officer who was posing as a minor for “several weeks” online.
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At the time, Illinois police claimed Smith had sent explicit videos and images of himself to the officer, thinking they were a 15-year-old girl.
Smith allegedly planned a meet-up with the minor to engage in sexual acts. When he tried to carry out his alleged plan in February 2023, the reality TV star was greeted by detectives.
Smith, however, was able to escape and fled in his vehicle.
At the time, Smith faced three felonies: traveling to meet a minor, grooming, and disseminating harmful material. It’s unclear if there will be any more tacked on.
In 2021, the MTV alum was also arrested for allegedly raping and assaulting a 16-year-old girl in Indiana.
Smith allegedly met the young girl on a dating app before she snuck out to meet him one night.
However, the victim said she “immediately had a bad feeling” about their meet-up after coming face to face with Smith.
The young girl claimed Smith forced her to perform oral sex on him while he drove them to a motel. She also alleged he was “slapping and choking her multiple times, urinating on her in the motel room, and forcing oral sex again.”
However, when Smith allegedly drove her home, the victim’s family was waiting on the lawn, looking for her.
Police later arrested Smith because his vehicle matched the description of what eyewitnesses saw.
However, the charges were dropped in September 2022 after the victim stopped cooperating with police.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
