A Missouri man has been sentenced to nearly 16 years in federal prison for kidnapping his pregnant girlfriend and forcing her across state lines at gunpoint, with the intention of making her undergo an abortion.

Kevin Smith, aged 42, pleaded guilty to the charge and received his sentence from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, as reported by their official announcement.

The incident began on December 6, 2022, when Smith’s girlfriend sent him a text message with a photo of a positive pregnancy test, writing, “Bae I’m pregnant,” according to court documents accessed by Law&Crime. Initially, during a phone conversation that evening, the couple agreed on an abortion. However, the following morning, she informed Smith of her decision to keep the baby.

Smith’s response was allegedly threatening, as the woman reported that he said, “I’m going to kill you, b—.”

The situation escalated the next day when Smith kidnapped his girlfriend from her job at a gas station in St. Charles, Missouri. He then drove her approximately 35 miles to a Planned Parenthood facility in Fairview Heights, Illinois, with the clear intent, according to prosecutors, to coerce her into having an abortion.

As they took the roughly 40-minute drive, “he used a loaded firearm to intimidate and threaten to kill the victim,” the Fairview Heights Police Department said. According to the woman, he made statements such as, “It will be real motherf— funny when I blow your brains out” and “B—, I’m gonna take you over there and put you in some field.”

The victim was able to text her family about her predicament, sending messages such as, “[H]e got a gun on me cause I’m pregnant” and “He said if anybody pull up he gone kill me first.”

The woman’s family called 911, and police officers arrived at the Planned Parenthood location at 317 Salem Place in Fairview Heights minutes later. They were told to look out for a white Dodge Charger with Missouri license plates, and as they drove in, they spotted the vehicle.

Police found a vehicle in the parking lot “with a male driver and female in the passenger seat,” the law enforcement agency said. As officers approached, the man — identified as Smith — drove forward and threw a Glock 27 out of the window. Eventually, the vehicle stopped, and Smith was taken into custody.

As they drove to the police station, body-camera footage reportedly captured Smith saying, “It’s my son’s birthday and I’m trying to prevent having another kid.” He was originally charged in St. Clair County, Illinois, with two counts of aggravated kidnapping-armed with a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and aggravated unlawful restraint.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office noted that he was ultimately sentenced to around 15 1/2 years in prison because “he repeatedly harassed the victim and continued to threaten her from jail.” In court documents, District Judge Stephen McGlynn excoriated Smith for his actions.

“The drive from St. Charles to the Planned Parenthood clinic in Fairview Heights is a long drive, so you had time to contemplate what you were doing. You had time for a cooling-off period as we say,” McGlynn said, per the court records. “This case carries a significant penalty for you because it wasn’t a momentary lapse or it wasn’t, you know, the dumbest five minutes of your life. You had time to plan. You had time to think about the ramifications.”

“You drove over to her place of work. You had time to think about it then. The evidence is you guys sat in the car for an extended period of time; and when she would not concede to have an abortion, you inform her you’re taking her to Planned Parenthood in Fairview Heights, Illinois,” the judge continued.

According to the court, Smith had a history of domestic violence. The victim in this case also claimed that he lied about his age to her.

“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,” U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoeft said. “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.”

He concluded by saying, “This vile crime terrorized the victim and threatened the life of her unborn child. Smith deserves every minute of that prison sentence.”

Smith’s sentence also includes three years of supervised release.