The first human trafficking trial in White County has concluded with a major conviction, as a jury sentenced Bryant Keith Evans of Bald Knob to 17 years of incarceration in the Arkansas Department of Corrections following a three-day trial.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Abram Skarda and Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Norene Smith successfully prosecuted the case. Court officials said the survivor was acquainted with Evans and was only 17 years old at the time of the incident.
According to investigators, on June 27, 2023, the teenage victim reported that an adult male known to her attempted to solicit her in exchange for money. She initially contacted the Bald Knob Police Department, which notified the White County Sheriff’s Department after learning the incident occurred within the county.
On June 29, 2023, the victim was forensically interviewed at the Children’s Safety Center in Searcy, where she identified Evans as the suspect. She told investigators that Evans, a friend of her mother and a regular customer at the restaurant where she worked, offered her extra money for work and asked her to meet him at a residence in Bald Knob. During the encounter, the victim reported that she refused inappropriate requests and left the residence.
Investigators said Evans later provided the victim with cash and told her not to discuss the encounter. The victim reported the incident shortly afterward.
On July 10, 2023, Evans voluntarily came to the White County Sheriff’s Office for an interview after being advised of his Miranda rights. He denied the allegations but acknowledged that the victim had come to the residence to discuss possible work and that he gave her money before she left. Investigators later sought a warrant for Evans on a charge of trafficking of persons, a Class Y felony under Arkansas law.
The conviction comes during National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in January. Prosecutors say the case highlights the importance of awareness and reporting. Human trafficking can involve minors or adults and includes enticing or soliciting a person for sexual acts or involuntary servitude in exchange for money or anything of value. A victim does not have to complete the act for the crime to meet the legal definition under state law.
Anyone who believes they have been subjected to human trafficking or knows someone who may be a victim is encouraged to contact local law enforcement, the Arkansas State Police, the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-482-5964, or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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