DES MOINES, Iowa — Another arrest has been made in a human trafficking investigation in Des Moines.
Kaylee Smith, 21, was booked into the Polk County Jail last Thursday on charges of Human Trafficking-Financial Benefit and Child Endangerment. She is being held on a $1 million bond.
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Online court records claim that Smith and Bryce McNeil, who have a child together, plotted to sell sexual services performed by the victim. McNeil and the female victim, who is from Kansas City, Missouri, became acquainted on a dating app, and in August of 2025, he convinced her to move in with him. A criminal complaint filed against McNeil stated he drove her from Missouri to the apartment he shared with Smith and their child in the Capitol East neighborhood of Des Moines.
The Des Moines Police Department began its investigation into the case on September 6, 2025, after performing a welfare check on the woman who was brought to Des Moines from Missouri. Text messages between Smith and McNeil revealed information about the trafficking operation, according to court documents.
McNeil was arrested in the case in September 2025. Online court records show he is charged with:
- 2 counts of Human Trafficking-Serious Injury or Threat of Serious Injury (Class A Felony)
- Person Ineligible to Carry a Dangerous Weapons (Serious Misdemeanor)
- 2 counts of Possession of Controlled Substance
McNeil is being held in the Polk County Jail. His trial is scheduled for May 4.
The child endangerment charge for Smith claims that marijuana and a loaded firearm were within reach of her and McNeil’s 10-month-old son. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 6th in her case…