Henderson County grand jury indicts man accused of trafficking children

Hayes Smith III (Source: Henderson County Sheriff's Office)
Hayes Smith III (Source: Henderson County Sheriff's Office)(Henderson County Sheriff's Office)
Published: Jun. 10, 2022 at 4:12 PM CDT

HENDERSON COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - Henderson County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a Dallas man Thursday in connection with allegations that he trafficked two children under the age of 18 in June of 2021 and sold them as forced labor.

Hayes “Daddy” Charles Smith III, 33, is still being held in the Henderson County jail on two first-degree felony trafficking of persons less than 18-prostitution/forced labor charges. His total bond amount has been set at $1 million.

A Henderson County grand jury indicted Smith on the charges on May 18. Each charge has a punishment range of 15 to 99 years in prison.

The text of each indictment says that Smith knowingly trafficked a person under 18 by “transporting, enticing, recruiting, harboring, providing, or otherwise obtaining” the individual to make him or her engage in forced labor or services.

Smith is also accused of taking money for trafficking the children.

Later in the indictments, they say that Smith was convicted of aggravated assault in the 292nd Judicial District Court of Dallas County on Dec. 10, 2015.

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