From left: Janhina Harold Smith and Justice Benton. | Clark County Detention Center
By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
No community in the world is immune to human trafficking, a global criminal enterprise as old as human civilization. The exploitation of people — be it for sex or forced labor — victimizes millions worldwide.
Local authorities say they have uncovered a human trafficking incident that happened in Arkadelphia.
Two people have been arrested and charged in connection with human trafficking involving two separate juvenile females between March 23-27, 2026.
Arrested were Janhina Harold Smith, 25, and Justice Benton, 24.
Police were made aware of the situation when, on March 26, a Bismarck woman got a knock at her door. A teenaged girl had been dropped off in Bismarck after spending several days with an Arkadelphia couple she met on Wizz, a social media app.
The Bismarck woman recognized that the young girl had been the victim of some wrongdoing, and immediately phoned police in neighboring Clark County. Law enforcement interviewed the victim, soon learning she had been trafficked for sex.
A press release from 9E Prosecuting Attorney Dan Turner notes that the Arkadelphia Police Department, in cooperation with Group 6 Drug Task Force, executed a search warrant at 1215 Richardson St., where Smith and Benton resided. Unbeknownst to the officers, another teen victim was inside the residence when the search warrant was executed.
Both victims were recovered safely from the Richardson Street home and provided services.
A probable cause affidavit states that the first victim told detectives that Benton had invited her to Arkadelphia, “where she could be in a romantic and sexual relationship with her and her boyfriend [Smith].” The pair reportedly drove to Jonesboro on March 23 to pick her up.
The affidavit alleges that the pair had intercourse with the juvenile that night and the two days that followed, and instructed her to download the Tinder and BOK dating apps to “meet guys who she could get with to make money.”
Threats were also made during the victim’s stay in Arkadelphia, as Smith allegedly brandished a metal bar saying he could “make” her have sex with a visitor he identified as a relative. Smith and the visitor took the girl’s phone and deleted materials that could identify them, then transported her to Bismarck, where they dropped her off and left.
The victim would later identify Smith and Benton as suspects in a photo lineup.
Following Smith and Benton’s March 27 arrests, they both had first appearances in Clark County Circuit Court, where bond for Smith was set at $75,000 and for Benton was set at $40,000. Both were given additional conditions of release to include electronic monitor/house arrest, random drug screens, no possession of weapons, and no contact orders with the two victims.
Both remained in custody at the Clark County Detention Center. Arraignment is set for May 5. Formal charges will be determined by the prosecutor.
The pair face the offense of Trafficking of Persons, which becomes a Class Y felony when the victim is a minor at the time of the offense. A Class Y felony is punishable by 10-40 years or life in prison.
The case is what local law enforcement and prosecutors have been training for in recent years, Turner said. “Human trafficking is a moving target,” he said, “but we stay on top of developments.”
About a year ago local law enforcement aided Michigan authorities in a human trafficking investigation that originated in that state. Turner said this case brings home the fact that human trafficking isn’t a faraway tale that happens only in big cities — it can happen in our own community.
Turner cautions parents and guardians to stay vigilant about the children’s phone and computer use, and to pay particular attention to the social media platforms they use. In this case, Turner pointed out, both victims met their alleged predators on Wizz.
Turner also encourages all citizens to recognize the signs that someone could be a victim of human trafficking, and to report anything suspicious.
“If you see something that looks off-kilter, contact law enforcement immediately — don’t keep it to yourself,” Turner said.