A Philadelphia man has been charged by federal indictment with his involvement in a sex trafficking ring in Philadelphia, Bucks, and Delaware counties, according to authorities.
Kevin Smith, 27, was indicted this week with sex trafficking by force and sex trafficking a minor.
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The indictment said Smith “recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, maintained” a person under 18 with the intent of having them engage in sex acts for money for about seven days in September 2019.
Smith is also accused of operating a “sex trafficking enterprise” between July 2015 and July 2017. During that time, he physically threatened three young adults into having sex in exchange for money, authorities said.
In a statement, authorities did not state where in Bucks County the sex trafficking ring operated.
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“The crimes Smith is accused of committing are some of the most devastating to victims that our office prosecutes,” Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a statement. “Allegedly, this defendant forced four young people, one a minor child, to sell their bodies for his financial gain. We will continue to work collectively to investigate these destructive crimes against the most vulnerable victims.”
Prosecutors noted that if Smith is convicted, he could face a life sentence in prison.
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The investigation was led by the FBI with assistance from numerous local agencies.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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