Connor Smith, a former star of MTV’s “Are You the One?”, was arrested in Florida after evading police in Illinois for a year, facing charges related to child solicitation. Smith allegedly engaged in conversations with a detective posing as an underage girl and attempted to meet for a sexual encounter, leading to a nationwide warrant for his arrest on charges including grooming and disseminating harmful material.
Connor Smith, a former MTV reality star from “Are You the One?”, was arrested in Florida for child solicitation after being on the run for a year from Illinois police.
Oh boy, where do we even start with this one? Connor Smith, that guy from MTV’s “Are You the One?”, got himself into a real pickle. And not the fun, dill kind. He’s been arrested in Florida, of all places. After dodging the cops in Illinois for a whole year. Can you believe it?
The Pinellas County Sheriff played a big part in this drama, swooping in to book him on Thursday, March 28. And guess what? He’s being held without bond. That’s right, no get-out-of-jail-free card for Mr. Smith, according to the folks over at Us Weekly.
So, what’s the tea? Well, Fox 32 spilled it. Apparently, our MTV alum, aged 33, thought it was a good idea to chat up what he believed was an underage girl. Spoiler alert: It was a detective. Classic mix-up, right?
And get this: He actually drove to a shopping mall parking lot, hoping for a, uh, “meet-up.” I mean, come on. A shopping mall? Really?
But wait, there’s more. Just as he arrived, ready for his not-date, he spots the sheriff’s officers. Panic mode activated. He tries to make a run for it in his pickup truck, driving over curbs and grass. Like something out of a bad action movie. Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli had quite the story to tell about the chase. They even had to call it off because Smith was driving so dangerously fast.
The charges? Oh, they’re serious. Grooming, traveling to meet a minor, and disseminating harmful material. Covelli said Smith was pretty chatty with what he thought was a young girl, even sending lewd photos. And he had plans, plans that were thankfully never realized.
Fast forward to his arrest in Clearwater, Florida. It’s like something out of a crime show, but with less glamour and more grim reality.
And in a twist no one asked for, there’s a bit about the unique matchmaking algorithm of “Are You the One?” Because, sure, why not throw in some reality TV lore in the midst of all this?
Smith first graced our screens in season 3 of “Are You the One?” back in 2015. After the show, he had big dreams of opening his own gym back in Chicago. And, like any reality TV alum, he was itching to get back on our screens, specifically on MTV’s “The Challenge.”
“To all of those who keep asking why I haven’t been on @TheChallengeMTV trust me I would love to go show them what’s up,” he tweeted. Oh, the irony. If only he knew what was coming.
So, there you have it. A tale of reality TV dreams turned into a nightmare of legal woes. It’s a wild ride from start to finish, with a side of unexpected detours. Just another day in the life of a former reality TV star, I guess.
