Who is MTV’s Are You The One star Connor Smith?
In February 2023, police issued a warrant for the reality star's arrest, accusing him of trying to engage in sexual acts with a minor, who turned out to be an undercover detective.
When officers from the Lake County Sheriff's Office tried to apprehend the Are You the One? alum, he fled in his pickup truck – and following a year-long manhunt, was finally brought into custody in Florida on Thursday, March 28, 2024.
Who is MTV’s Are You The One star Connor Smith?
Connor Smith was born on April 3, 1990, and raised in Tinley Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
His claim to fame is being a former participant on a popular MTV reality dating show.
In 2015, Smith appeared on Are You The One?, in an effort to find his "soulmate."
Are You The One?, often abbreviated AYTO?, is a matchmaking, dating reality show, where a group of singles are secretly paired into couples by producers based on an algorithm.
The contestants then are asked to identify the perfect matches while living together in a group home.
If the contestants succeed in identifying the matches correctly, the group wins a shared prize of up to $1 million.
The show, which first premiered in January 2014, aired for nine seasons.
The first seven seasons of AYTO? featured couples of only male and female pairings, while the eighth season introduced openly LGBTQ+ couples.
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Smith was a cast member of the show's third season, and found his perfect match during week five of filming, Chelsey Perkins.
Despite being a "perfect match," the duo did not pursue a romantic relationship outside of the show.
According to his X, formerly Twitter, , Smith last resided in Chicago, Illinois.
He has not used the social media site since 2019, with his latest tweets being about US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
His X biography states, "I fish a lot and slay drinks yo."
The Instagram profile linked to his X account , while another account on October 7, 2021.
Smith appears to be passionate about tattoos, fishing, working out, and modeling.
Not much else is publicly known about the MTV alum.
What did Connor Smith do?
Connor Smith has amassed quite the rap sheet over the years.
His first known offense occurred in 2021.
According to , Connor Smith was arrested in Indiana for allegedly raping and brutally assaulting a 16-year-old girl.
Cook County police arrested the former reality star in December 2021, with the unidentified teen allegedly telling cops she was kidnapped from her room in July of 2021.
He was charged with a count of rape, sexual battery and two counts of criminal confinement.
The teen later told authorities she allegedly matched with the attacker on a dating app, and snuck out to meet him.
She went on to say he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex while driving to a motel, hitting and choking her.
He also allegedly urinated on her inside the motel room, before allegedly forcing oral sex again.
After escaping the situation, the alleged victim reportedly was able to identify Smith in a lineup at the police station.
Witnesses to the event were able to share his vehicle information with the police, who pinned the alleged crime to the former MTV star.
By September 2022, all charges against him were dropped, after the alleged victim stopped cooperating with law enforcement officers.
Less than two years later, the AYTO? alum was accused of trying to engage in sex acts with a minor.
Smith reportedly interacted with an undercover detective online for weeks, and sent explicit photos and videos of himself to who he believed was a 15-year-old girl.
He then set up an in-person meetup with the "teen," and drove to their scheduled meeting place on February 9, 2023.
When he arrived at the location, police officers moved in to arrest him for indecent solicitation of a child.
Smith managed to escape, driving away in his pickup truck.
When did Connor Smith get arrested?
On February 10, 2023, the Lake County Sheriff's Office obtained a warrant for Connor Smith's arrest.
His felony charges included grooming and disseminating harmful material and traveling to meet a minor.
A year-long manhunt ensued, with Smith evading arrest by fleeing to Florida.
"We believe he’s got significant family in the southern Florida area," said Christopher Covelli, deputy chief of the Lake County Sheriff's Office, as reported by .
"We do believe that he has been to southern Florida," Covelli added.
"We believe he’s very aware that he’s wanted for these serious crimes in Illinois and certainly actively working to evade apprehension."
Following sightings of him in Clearwater, officers at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office were able to apprehend Smith at what is believed to be his place of residence.
He was taken into custody on Thursday, March 28, 2024, booked at 2:01 pm ET, and is being held at the Pinellas County Jail without bond.
After attending a hearing on Friday, March 29, 2024, Smith is currently awaiting trial, according to the PCSO's .
It is still unclear whether he will be tried in Florida or brought back to Illinois for his trial.
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If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673).