Camden County, Mo., man gets 20 years in federal prison for sex trafficking

A 36-year-old Camden County, Mo., man was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City to 20 years in federal prison for the forced sex trafficking of two women.

Joshua Kain Smith pleaded guilty in August to one count of sex trafficking and one count of attempted sex trafficking. Smith admitted that he abused and threatened one victim into prostitution between Nov. 15, 2011, and March 15, 2012. Smith used threats and coercion in an attempt to get a second woman to work as a prostitute between Dec. 1, 2010, and Nov. 15, 2011, according to court records.

According to federal authorities, Smith met the first victim through a dating website in 2011. He began abusing the woman shortly after they began dating. The victim had a job at a hotel but later lost it when Smith forced the woman to stop working. Smith later forced the woman to have sex with other men for money. He also threatened to kill the victim and her family if she left him.

Smith met the other victim through an online dating service in December 2010. The day after they met, Smith became enraged after the woman bailed him out of jail. She tried to break up with Smith. He threatened to kill the woman and tore off her clothes, federal authorities said.

Over the next year, Smith sexually and physically abused the woman. On at least two occasions, Smith wrapped a belt around her neck until she passed out. Without the woman’s knowledge, Smith posted on online advertisements for sexual activity. The woman received over 100 telephone calls from men responding to the advertisements.

Smith was ordered to pay $23,406 in restitution to one of the victims.

This story was originally published April 20, 2015 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Camden County, Mo., man gets 20 years in federal prison for sex trafficking."