The York County Sheriff’s Department arrested a man on Wednesday who has evaded police since 2021 after he was accused of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old child before failing to appear in court.
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In 2021, Cody Smart, 33, of Sanford, was arrested on charges of gross sexual assault and solicitation of a child after law enforcement received a complaint against him alleging that he sexually abused a nine-year-old.
Despite the gravity of the charges, he was allowed out of jail to await his trial, but he allegedly failed to appear in court.
Warrants were issued for his arrest, but he managed to successfully evade capture for five years, despite multiple attempts to locate him.
Last week, York Sheriff’s Investigators, working with the United States Marshals Service, redoubled their efforts to develop new information on Smart’s location.
The investigation led law enforcement to a residence in Limerick, where they believed Smart to be hiding out.
On Wednesday, York deputies and Maine State Troopers surrounded the Limerick home and located Smart allegedly hiding in a bedroom.
He was arrested without further incident and transported to the York County Jail.
Although Smart already failed to appear in court on his charges, and he successfully spent five years as a fugitive from justice, a judge nevertheless granted him bail, set at $25,000.
