A man facing charges of sexual assault, human trafficking and possession of child pornography in Bowie County, Texas, pleaded not guilty Monday.
Robert Allen Smith, 34, appeared Monday morning at the Bi-State Justice Building in Texarkana with Assistant Public Defender Clayton Haas. Haas entered pleas of not guilty on Smith's behalf to all of the pending felony charges.
Smith appeared much different Monday than he does in the mugshot on file in court records. He has shaved his beard and his hair is now trimmed short.
First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp asked 202nd District Judge John Tidwell to put the case on the court's trial docket.
"I don't think we're going to be able to get this case worked out," Crisp said. "We have an open trial date for May 6 and we're asking it be set for that date."
Tidwell obliged the state's request.
Smith was reportedly living with the alleged victim and her mother at the time of the alleged abuse, according to a probable cause affidavit used to create the following account. The girl was 15 to 17 years of age at the time she was allegedly assaulted.
A family friend reported the abuse in February 2018 to police in New Boston. In a forensic interview, the girl allegedly disclosed that Smith would send her a text message on her cellphone instructing her to take a shower before an episode of sexual abuse. Smith would allegedly abuse the girl in the bathroom of her home.
The girl reported that she was sexually abused, sodomized and at times forced to urinate on Smith's face during the bathroom assaults, according to the affidavit.
The alleged victim told investigators that Smith would force her to pose for him while he used a drone to take photos of her exposed genitalia, holding the drone in one hand and manipulating the controls with the other.
The girl also described being sexually abused by Smith in various U.S. cities while traveling with him during the summer as he drove a commercial truck for work. Following examination of Smith's electronic devices, pornographic images of children were allegedly discovered.
Smith was indicted earlier this month by a Bowie County grand jury for two counts of sexual assault of a child. Each count is punishable by two to 20 years in prison. Smith is also charged with one count of possession of child pornography, which is punishable by two to 10 years in prison.
The human-trafficking charge involves the alleged sexual abuse during out-of-state travel and is punishable by 25 to 99 years or life with no parole possible from any sentence imposed.
Tidwell set the case for a Feb. 25 pretrial hearing. Smith remains in Bowie County custody. Bail in the case is set at more than $1 million.