Ex-MTV Star With History Of Targeting Minors Still On The Lam: Police

LAKE COUNTY, IL — A nationwide search continues for a former MTV star accused of soliciting sex from a girl who is younger than 15 years old. Last week, authorities in Lake County issued an arrest warrant for Connor N. Smith, who appeared in MTV's "Are You The One," in 2015.

As of Tuesday, Smith still wasn't in custody, Christopher Covelli, deputy chief for the Lake County Sheriff's Office, told Patch. Authorities are unsure of his whereabouts, and do not know if he is in the Chicago area or has fled the state.

A warrant was issued for Smith's arrest last week after authorities attempted to take the 32-year-old Orland Park man into custody on charges of indecent solicitation of a child, traveling to meet a minor and disseminating harmful material.

• Orland Man Wanted For Arranging Sex With 'Girl' In Sting Operation
  

The charges were filed after detectives in Lake County posed as a girl under the age of 15 years old and began communicating with Smith online. During the chats, Smith is accused of sending sexually explicit images and videos of himself and making arrangements to meet for a sexual encounter, authorities said.

On Feb. 9, Smith drove to meet the girl and was met by Lake County detectives when he arrived, police said. Authorities tried to take Smith into custody at the time, but he was able to escape and fled in a pick-up truck.

He has been on the loose ever since, and on Feb. 10, a nationwide arrest warrant was issued for him. A Lake County judge set bond on the warrant at $1 million.

Authorities said Smith indicated he would surrender himself on the arrest warrant, but has not done so.

Police are urging anyone who sees Smith not to approach him and to contact local law enforcement.

Smith appeared in Season 3 of MTV's "Are You The One," which is a dating show where contestants are tasked with finding their "perfect match," with a chance to win $1 million, according to People.com. Smith found his "match" in episode five, but the couple later broke up following filming of the show.

This is not the first time the former reality TV star has faced legal issues.

In 2021, Smith was accused of forcing a 16-year-old girl he met online to perform a sexual act on him. The girl told authorities he then took her to a motel room, where he sexually assaulted her, Patch reported at the time.

In that incident, Smith was charged with rape, criminal confinement and sexual battery in Indiana. Last September, all the charges were dismissed in the case, according to online court records.

Prosecutors opted to file a motion to drop the charges after they said the victim in the case stopped cooperating with police, and after attempts by state prosecutors to reach her were also unsuccessful.

Rape Charges Dropped Against Orland Park Man In Indiana Case

After the Indiana charges were dropped, Smith issued a statement about how the allegations had affected his life, adding, "thanks to the love and support of my family and friends, I am doing everything I can to put this ordeal behind me."

Authorities in Lake County said they did not know about Smith's former charges when they initially began investigating him.

The sheriff's office's criminal investigations division and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service teamed up as part of a routine investigations team and set up a fake online account, posing as the underage teen. Smith reached out to them, thinking he was talking with a minor girl, Covelli said.

Covelli said Smith provided the "girl" with information that helped police to identify him just before the Feb. 9 meetup.