A Missouri man has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for kidnapping his girlfriend and trying to force her to get an abortion.
Kevin L. Smith, a 42-year-old resident of St. Peters, was recently sentenced to 15 years and eight months after admitting to kidnapping his girlfriend at gunpoint and driving her to Fairview Heights, Illinois, in his pursuit to terminate the pregnancy.
In addition to the 188 months in prison, Smith will also be required to undergo three years of supervised release, according to a press statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.
“It is not easy to shock law enforcement officials because we have pretty much seen it all — but then someone like Kevin Smith comes along,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft in the statement.
He added, “It is difficult to find words adequate to describe someone who would kidnap his pregnant girlfriend to force her to have an abortion at gunpoint and then continue to threaten her from jail. This vile crime terrorized the victim and threatened the life of her unborn child. Smith deserves every minute of that prison sentence.”
According to authorities, in December 2022, Smith abducted his pregnant girlfriend from her job at gunpoint, then drove her to a Planned Parenthood facility in Fairview Heights.
The woman did not abort her child and later gave birth. Even after he was arrested, Smith continued to threaten and harass his girlfriend, which contributed to his sentencing.
Fairview Heights Police Department Chief Steve Johnson, whose department led the investigation, said in a statement that the case “represents a disturbing act of violence and abuse.”
“Kevin Smith kidnapped his girlfriend at gunpoint and drove her across state lines against her will in an attempt to make her obtain an abortion. His actions were those of a dangerous and manipulative individual,” said Johnson, according to KCTV News 5.
“Our investigators worked tirelessly to bring the facts forward, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office ensured Smith was held accountable in federal court. This sentencing sends a clear message that acts of violence will not be tolerated in our community.”
According to a study published by the medical science journal Cureus in 2023, 24% of surveyed women who had had an abortion labeled the decision “unwanted or coerced,” while another 43% said it was “accepted but inconsistent with their values and preferences.”
