PHOENIX—Alvin Rex Smith (D.O.B. 07/26/1985) was sentenced to 191 years in the Department of Corrections for three counts of Sex Trafficking, nine counts of Child Prostitution, four counts of Sexual Conduct with a Minor and three counts of Using Minors in Drug Offenses.

“This sentence is a clear demonstration of our continuing commitment to hold defendants fully accountable for victimizing children for a defendant’s perverse financial gain through sex trafficking,” said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “Prosecutors and law enforcement will continue to be relentless in making Arizona the most unwelcome place for child sex traffickers to operate. This case is also yet one more example of the nefarious environment that was created by Backpage.com.”

In December of 2014 investigators became aware of two teen girls who had run away from a group home and were engaging in prostitution. Through the investigation detectives learned that between November 2014 and January 2015 a total of three female victims ranging in age from 13-years-old to 16-years-old were working for Smith who served as their pimp.

Smith was a listed contact for the teen girls on Backpage.com ads and also rented motel for them. He required the victims to give him all of their earnings from prostitution. Smith also forced the victims to follow strict rules and submit to strip searches to make sure they were not hiding money. The defendant physically assaulted the girls as punishment for breaking any rules and would also provide drugs to the girls. Additionally, two of the victims disclosed that Smith had sex with them.

This sentencing is consistent with previous cases the office has sought to hold sex traffickers fully accountable. In January 2017 Jawon Smith was sentenced to 102 years for sex trafficking and child prostitution, in May of 2016 Andre Adams was sentenced to 330 years for 10 counts of child prostitution, and in July of 2016 Leon Daniels was sentenced to 196 years for 17 counts related to sex trafficking.