Deputies have charged a man they said recruited and enticed a woman to perform sexual acts with other men for money.
Gino Smith, 43, is charged with trafficking in persons, according to an arrest warrant.
“Based on interviews detectives conducted during this case, Smith used force and fraud to make the victim engage in commercial sexual activity,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “He promised her shelter and money but ended up forcing her by threats of physical harm to provide sexual services to other men for money, which he profited from.”
Smith trafficked the victim at three locations in Lexington County last month, according to Koon.
“This case came to light when a deputy responded to a trespassing call at a hotel off Saint Andrews Road last month,” Koon said. “As the deputy talked to the victim, it became obvious Smith was controlling her and forcing her to do these things against her will. SLED worked with us to transport her to the hospital for medical treatment.”
Koon said Smith was arrested a short time later at a nearby restaurant. He’s being held in the Lexington County Detention Center.