Former MTV Reality Star Arrested in Clearwater After Fleeing from Illinois Police

Former MTV Reality Star Arrested in Clearwater

Clearwater, Florida - A former MTV reality star, Connor Smith, 33, was apprehended in Clearwater on Thursday after being on the run from law enforcement in Illinois for a year. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office arrested Smith at his Clearwater address.

Charges and Arrest

Smith was apprehended on an open warrant from Lake County, Illinois, which was issued in February last year. The warrant was a result of accusations of him engaging in explicit conversations with an individual he believed was an underage girl. After being confronted by detectives at his residence in Orland Park, Smith fled from deputies.

He was being investigated for allegedly sending inappropriate images and videos of himself to an undercover detective who was posing as a girl under the age of 15. Additionally, he was accused of planning to meet the victim, leading to the issuance of a nationwide warrant by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The charges against Smith include grooming, traveling to meet a minor, and disseminating harmful material.

Legal Proceedings

Smith has been held without bond at the Pinellas County Jail and is expected to make his first court appearance on Friday. More information about his case is anticipated to be disclosed after this appearance.

Background

Smith gained recognition for his appearance on the MTV reality show “Are You the One?” in 2015. He had previously faced allegations of sexual assault on a minor in Indiana, though these charges were eventually dropped.