Former MTV Star Arrested on Grooming Charges After Year on the Run
A former MTV reality star’s year on the run ended on Thursday when he was arrested by police in Florida, according to authorities.
Connor Smith, who was a contestant on the dating show Are You The One? in 2015, fled from police in Illinois last year, after allegedly making plans to meet up with the minor for sex.
Smith had been messaging for weeks with an undercover detective pretending to be a 15-year-old girl, allegedly sending explicit photos and videos, according to officers with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
When Smith allegedly escalated the relationship, making a plan to meet up with her in-person, police approached him at his home—and he took off.
A nationwide warrant for his arrest was issued in February 2023, listing charges of traveling to meet a minor, grooming, and disseminating harmful material.
Smith was previously charged with sexually assaulting a minor in 2021, but those charges were dismissed.
On Thursday, Smith was arrested in Clearwater, Florida. He is being held without bond, and is expected to appear in court on Friday.
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