ICE HSI Dallas led investigation results in Denton man receiving 15 year sentence for trafficking a 17-year old

DALLAS – A Denton, Texas, man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for Child Sex Trafficking by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Conner of the Northern District of Texas.

William Adam Jonathan Smith, 31, was found guilty by a federal jury. He was convicted of one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor and one count of Sex Trafficking of a Minor.  

In evidence presented during his trial, Smith met and befriended the 17-year old victim in the summer of 2019. Smith introduced the victim to Charity Cantu, his girlfriend who worked for him as a prostitute to groom and train the girl to conduct sexual encounters for payment.

From Aug. through Oct. 2019, the victim accompanied Cantu to hotels in Dallas and Fort Worth to engage in commercial sexual activities. Smith obtained all proceeds from the commercial acts performed by the victim.

Cantu, 25, pled guilty in March 2020 to a racketeering charge. In court documents, she admitted that although she knew the victim was a minor, Cantu groomed the underaged girl for commercial sex, posting ads for her services online. She testified at Smith’s trial and was sentenced in Oct. 2020 to two years in federal prison.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas and the Denton Police Department conducted the initial investigation resulting in the arrest of Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Doug Allen and Brandie Wade prosecuted the case.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of DHS and a vital U.S. asset in combatting transnational crime and threats. One of HSI’s top priorities is to protect the public from crimes of victimization, and HSI’s child exploitation investigations program is a central component of this mission set. HSI is recognized as a global leader in this investigative discipline, and is committed to utilizing its vast authorities, international footprint and strong government and non-government partnerships to identify and rescue child victims, identify and apprehend offenders, prevent transnational child sexual abuse, and help make the internet a safer place for children.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit HSI's iGuardians program.

To report a crime, call 866-347-2423 (TTY for hearing impaired: 802-872-6196) or visit the ICE Tip Line.