Galena Man Bound Over For Trial In Drugs For Sex Case:

By Kathee Baird

Richard Smith (left) and Gerald Graves

Galena, Mo.- A man from Galena facing charges connected to a case where drugs were allegedly supplied to an underage girl in exchange for “sexual favors” waived his preliminary hearing and was bound over for trial yesterday (08-19-20.)

The husband of the now 19 year-old woman told investigators that his wife was involved in an ongoing sexual relationship that began when she was 14 year-old with her family’s landlord, Richard Wayne Smith.  Court documents state Smith provided Oxycontin to the victim, which she became addicted to, since she was 14.

Smith would pick the victim up from her parents home in Reeds Spring and take her shopping or out for dinner before they would go to a hotel or Smith’s Reeds Spring residence for sexual encounters, according to the the probable cause statement.  Smith’s residence was identified in over 6,568 lewd pictures found on the victim’s phone.

The victim told authorities that Smith had been supplying her with 10 milligram Oxycontin pills since she was 14 year-old and that he began taking nude pictures of her when she was 15 or 16 years-old.

“Most of her text messages were conversations with Richard,” the probable cause statement reads. “The messages described various sexual encounters between them.”

 One of the messages from the victim asks Smith “for meds from Daddy.”

Court records say that Gerald Franklin Graves, 71, would bring the victim pills when Smith was out of town.

When a search warrant was executed at Smith’s home, police found 90 hydrdocodone pills in plastic baggies, $4,000 in cash, and two iPhones. Authorities allegedly found multiple nudes photos of the victim taken before she was 18, court documents state.

During the investigation authorities uncovered a similar relationship between the victim and Graves.

 Smith is charged with possession of child pornography and distribution of a controlled substance, both class C felonies, court records show. Graves is charged with distribution of a controlled substance.

 Graves, who is facing charges of distribution of a controlled substance, was released from Stone County Jail July 16 after posting bond $15,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned in circuit court on September 10th. 

Smith, who has been charged with eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography and distribution of a controlled substance is scheduled for his preliminary hearing on August 26th, was released  from jail on July 28th after his bond was reduced from $50,000 to $15,000.