A federal jury convicted a Houston man of sex trafficking adult and child victims after prosecutors said he used violence, threats, and coercion to force five women into commercial sex acts over nearly nine years.
Jonathan Smith-Byrd, 35, was found guilty on six counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, along with three counts of enticing and coercing another person to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced Wednesday.
Jurors deliberated for less than three hours after a seven-day trial.
Federal prosecutors said Smith-Byrd trafficked five victims from January 2014 to October 2022. Three of the victims were minors when he trafficked them.
Smith-Byrd posted commercial sex advertisements on Backpage.com and trafficked victims on Houston’s Bissonnet “track,” an area near the I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street, according to prosecutors.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Justice Department last year launched a $200 million compensation fund for victims trafficked through Backpage.com.
Prosecutors Detail Violence Against Victims
Prosecutors said Smith-Byrd also forced victims to engage in commercial sex acts across state lines, including in Nevada, Louisiana, Florida, New Mexico, and other states.
One or more victims tried multiple times to escape, but prosecutors said Smith-Byrd responded with threats and severe physical assaults.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said victims lost consciousness and suffered serious injuries. Trial testimony detailed assaults involving a padlock placed inside a sock and a belt that broke during the beatings, according to prosecutors.
One victim suffered multiple jaw fractures, required reconstructive surgery, and experienced partial facial paralysis, prosecutors said.
The jury reviewed hospital records, photographs, and physical items prosecutors said Smith-Byrd used to brutalize the victims.
Prosecutors said Smith-Byrd kept 100% of the proceeds.
Smith-Byrd argued in his defense that the case involved domestic violence, not trafficking, and that the women acted as independent contractors, according to prosecutors. The jury rejected his claims and convicted him.
Sentencing Set For August
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks set sentencing for August 3.
Smith-Byrd faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. He must also register as a sex offender.
Smith-Byrd remains in custody pending sentencing.
The FBI investigated the case as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance, a Houston-based coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors.
