A man from the Mississippi Pine Belt has been arrested for allegedly raping a teenager in Jones County.
First reported by the Laurel Leader-Call, 22-year-old Benjamin Smith is accused of raping the unidentified female at his Moselle home in May. Smith was taken into custody last Tuesday.
Jones County deputies responded to Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg after the alleged crime took place in the spring. The victim’s mother took the female to the medical center and healthcare personnel conducted a rape test on the teen.
Smith is said to be related to the teen’s mother. The teen was staying the night with the suspect and his wife when the abuse reportedly took place. The accuser told her mother that Smith went into the room she was staying in and assaulted her while she was sleeping.
Authorities have not yet released why there was such a long gap between the investigation and the arrest of Smith, a registered sex offender who was convicted of sexual battery in 2016.
Smith is charged with sexual battery and rape. He was booked into the Jones County Adult Detention Center and given a $250,000 bond.
