VAN BUREN, Ark. — A Van Buren man has been arrested after allegedly participating in human trafficking and being violent toward multiple women.
Michael Wayne Hall was booked into the Crawford County Jail on June 4 for terroristic threatening, trafficking of persons, harassing communications, domestic battery, and aggravated assault of a family or household member, all split between two cases.
The first affidavit says that on May 12, detectives took a report from a woman about Hall, who was allegedly harassing her through emails, texts, and messages through CashApp.
The woman told police that Hall had become physically violent with her in April, according to the affidavit, choking her until she nearly passed out and later throwing her on the floor.
Hall then allegedly slammed her arms and legs into a door around 10 times. He then went on to pin her to the ground and bash her head on the tile floor in the kitchen "like a basketball," the affidavit said.
Court documents said that in January 2024, investigators spoke with a different person who had left Hall's residence in the middle of the night and was sleeping at the police department. She told police that she had been picked up by Hall and another woman while in Kentucky and had come down to potentially live full time with them.
The person left on January 17 because of how Hall treated the other woman, allegedly kicking her in the stomach and ribs while she was on the floor, the affidavit said.
According to court documents, the woman told police that Hall said the two would start making porn on OnlyFans in 2023. The money made from the account was controlled by Hall and reportedly went into his bank account that only belonged to him.
The woman explained that she "couldn't really refuse to film due to the possibility of getting beat," the affidavit said.
She explained that when her and Hall moved to Van Buren in 2023, OnlyFans was his full-time job. The affidavit reports that she told police that she was essentially forced to participate, and that Hall would get mad and begin yelling and throwing things if she told him no.
The second affidavit says that on May 29, Van Buren police officers went out to do a welfare check on a woman. A friend of the woman had been concerned for her wellbeing due to her asking for help getting to Florida.
The woman was contacted and told officers that she was OK. On June 3, officers were called out again for another welfare check on the same woman. This time, she opened the door and started crying hysterically, the affidavit said.
She ran out of the residence and explained that Hall head butted her two times, court documents said. She told officers that she had pictures from previous injuries Hall had given her, and that he had even threatened to kill her by shooting her.
Included in the affidavit are texts between the woman and Hall, one of which read: "If my phone goes off again, I'm gonna smash it into your f***ing face until there's nothing left," and another that said, "I will literally kill you."
The affidavit says that the woman reported multiple instances of Hall threatening to kill her, including after the first welfare check.
Hall made his $100,000 bond and is now awaiting a court appearance.
According to court records, Hall was previously booked into the Sebastian County Jail three times in 2022 on the following charges:
- Jan. 13, 2022 — Aggravated Assault on a Family or Household Member
- Aug. 4, 2022 — Assault On Family Or Household Member-3rd Degree
- Dec. 12, 2022 — Petition to Revoke
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