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HOUSTON - A Houston man is facing up to life in prison after a federal jury found him guilty of running a sex trafficking, involving both adults and children.
Jonathan Smith-Byrd, 35, was convicted on six counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and three counts of enticing and coercing individuals to travel across state lines for prostitution. The jury deliberated for less than three hours after a seven-day trial presided over by U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks.
Bissonnet sex trafficker found guilty
The backstory:
From January 2014 to October 2022, Smith-Byrd trafficked five women, three of whom were minors at the time, by using force, fraud, and coercion to get them to engage in sexual acts.
Evidence showed he posted commercial sex advertisements on Backpage.com and forced the victims to work the Bissonnet "track", an area near the I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street.
He trafficked the women across state lines to Nevada, Louisiana, Florida, and New Mexico using violence to keep control. When one or more of the victims tried to escape, he physically assaulted them so severely it caused them to lose consciousness and sustain serious, long-term injuries.
Smith-Byrd kept 100% of the proceeds.
During the trial, jurors were presented with hospital records, photographs, and the physical items Smith-Byrd used to brutalize the victims. Testimony revealed Smith-Byrd's assaults, such as beating the victims with a belt so hard that it broke and using a padlock stuffed inside a sock as a weapon. One victim suffered multiple jaw fractures that required reconstructive surgery and left her with partial facial paralysis.
According to records, Smith-Byrd acknowledged that he may have assaulted some of the women, but argued it was "domestic violence" and "love triangle gone wrong" rather than federal sex trafficking. He further attempted to convince the jury the victims were "independent contractors" in prostituting themselves.
What's next:
Smith-Byrd remains in federal custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 3. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, a possible $250,000 fine, and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The Source: Information from this article was gathered from the U.S. Attorney's Office - Southern District of Texas.