This is the second extensive commercial sex sting operation involving North Texas suburbs in recent months. Using information from informants, he expanded his investigation to include Leroy Medlin, a former Loving County Sheriffs deputy whod been fired from the San Antonio Police Department and was working as a part-time ranch hand for Jones. But for weeks, the black bull continued to elude Jones and his ranch hands, even though they put out feed and water, Baker wrote. All rights reserved, Following a Delivery Truck? DALLAS Forty-six people have been arrested in connection with a commercial sex sting across North Texas, including a volunteer firefighter, youth pastor, So Baker, a 39-year law enforcement veteran, started scouring livestock sale logs and called up Loving County Sheriff Chris Busse to make sure Jones and the ranch hands hadnt reported any stray cattle to him, according to the warrants. NBC 5 has also learned the arrested individuals include paramedics, firefighters, a teacher and a nurse and that some of the victims targeted young children, including infants. A youth pastor. You can reach her on Twitter at @rumpfsarahc, Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. A police sting operation in Texas City led to the arrest of two women on prostitution charges and 11 men allegedly seeking prostitutes, Texas City police said Monday. 10 men were arrested Wednesday and Thursday in a sting operation in Belton. Sarah Bahari, Staff writer. Baker made it over there before they could be sold, he wrote. The names of the suspects were not released by federal authorities. "Giving help and support to those who are vulnerable to being pulled into prostitution rings is a great way to start to eradicate the availability of the product.". Bell County Sheriffs Department released the identities of 10 men arrested on prostitution charges in a human trafficking suppression operation that concluded Thursday, according to a news release Saturday. Baker alleged in the warrants that Medlin, 35, spotted three bulls and a heifer without markings roaming near the Pecos River in June in Reeves County. During this weeks operation, one of the defendants negotiated a price but arrived with no money. Weeks passed. Some of the conversation seemed strange at the time, Baker noted. The investigation involved nearly three dozen law enforcement agencies from across North Texas and from as far away as Alaska. You go ahead., Alvarado, Jones ranch hand, roped the bull in a pasture and helped load him into a trailer. Robertson is with POETIC, a Dallas based organization that helps women and girls who are victims of sex trafficking. The next day, according to the warrants, Baker got a tip that Jones and the ranch hands had previously rounded up stray livestock to sell at auction without notifying the sheriff, as required by state law. Fort Worth youth pastor Lamarcus Strickland was also arrested, according to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. Officers responded to more than 700 messages from 73 different people in response to ads placed as part of the sting over two days. HOUSTON The day Texass new law regarding solicitation of prostitution went into effect, Houston police ran a sting operation in an area known as the Bissonnet Track.. On Feb. 22-23, digital ads were placed on known websites promoting prostitution. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 11:30 AM on Jan 23, 2023 CST Updated at 11:54 AM on Jan 23, 2023 CST. When police have a strong suspicion that an individual has a predisposition to commit a crime, they may set up a sting operation to Australian Federal Police blurred the suspect's face due to privacy concerns. January 20, 2023 / 10:14 PM Loving County, the least-populated county in the continental U.S., had 57 residents as of the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimate. Six people were arrested on Feb. 22 and an additional four were arrested on Feb. 23. The Dallas area has a problem with sex trafficking, and authorities are using sting operations among other things to crack down. Why try to catch him if it was so hard? According to federal officials in the Dallas branch of Homeland Security Investigations, one of the 46 men was Fort Worth pastor Lamarcus Strickland. We'd love to hear eyewitness "Electronic service providers, the services you might use on cell phones or your computers, detect contraband material on their servers and they report that to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who then forward that information to the affected law enforcement agencies," explained Rich. Under Texas law, grand jurors cannot be related by blood or marriage. Galveston police along with Texas DPS, Galveston County Sheriff's Office, and Homeland Security made 14 arrests with 16 total charges after conducting an operation to target online solicitation of minors and solicitation of prostitution. H.B. Baker recently was appointed police chief in Coleman, Texas his hometown and left his job as a special ranger, though Fuchs said Baker will still see this case through. Texas just became the first state to make a first-time solicitation of prostitution offense a felony. And the bull was eating his grass, he added. Police arrested a youth pastor and a high school coach and teacher for Human smugglers showed off their successful smuggling operation through a remote stretch of West Texas desert, posting a video online where they inadvertently revealed their location to law enforce Baker, who declined to be interviewed, arrived to find Jones and his ranch hands loading the dead cattle onto a trailer to take them back to the P&M Jones Family Ranch. He knows.. quote: The devices are being examined forensically and may lead to the investigation of other offenders and additional charges. As Baker and other special rangers investigated, they also laid the groundwork for their sting operation. Many prostitutes are themselves victims of human trafficking, Cruz said. Hohman said it's important for people to be educated on the topic to protect themselves and their children. These are individuals that we've told our children are safe. Low 66F. The Sheriff's Department said they are concerned about possible links between prostitution and human trafficking. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. or anything. What is a police sting operation? ), Three days later, Sparks saw the judge at the courthouse and they chatted briefly about the bull, Sparks said. Miles is an award-winning reporter who has been covering North Texas for CBS 11 since 1996. Are you in favor of allowing Killeen residents to have backyard chickens, as outlined in a proposed ordinance? For a month-long operation, it's very representative of the vast number of people that are addicted to pornography, and what I believe is an epidemic in our country," said Jennifer Hohman, an advocate who helps women and children who have been exploited in sex trafficking. The documents detail a yearlong investigation, replete with confidential informants and a sting operation involving a reddish-brown cow, her calf and the black yearling bull all equipped by the special rangers with microchips. ", Another concern is for those soliciting, who have often become the victims of other crimes. Jones and his family members through blood or marriage have a tight grip on the local government, serving as judge, clerk, county attorney and constable. And an operations director of a large hospital network. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Possession of Child Pornography Possession of Lewd Visual Material Texas DPS, Michael W. Newhouse, Sr. Example video title will go here for this video. Theres no question about that, said Steve Simonsen, who is the Loving County attorney and married to a cousin of Jones. Known as "Operation Home Alone", law enforcement officials used the undercover operation to target suspects believed to have been preying on young adolescents online. Those who traffic victims are the scourge of the earth, and we will continue to target those responsible for the trafficking and those who solicit sex from them.. Jones sold the cattle at auction in New Mexico and sent the money to a boys ranch in Amarillo, according to the warrants. Ten people were arrested, ", Skinner urges parents to talk with their children about their devices and to "report any suspicious activity to their nearest law enforcement agency.". / CBS Texas. "They can be subjected to physical and sexual assault, robbery, and even murder. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, When ranch hand Cody Williams pulled up at the barn hauling the bull, Baker was waiting. "We had a high school teacher, who is also a football coach, we had a youth pastor," said John Perez with Homeland Security Investigations. "There's thousands and thousands of ads posted every day in the metroplex," Perez said. Be Truthful. Spring turned to summer as Baker built his case, chasing new tips. (Tarrant County Sheriff's Office). Alongside the Bell County Organized Crime Unit, the Fort Hood Military Police and the Fort Hood Criminal Investigations Division, the Sheriff's Department conducted a two-day sting operation in Central Texas. The six men identified as being from from Killeen are Jamal Davis, 23; Shawn Ginn, 37; Vicente Pereira, 47; Luis Ramirez, 32; Kevin Roe, 26; and Brian Whipple, 55. Can I still get Beyonc tickets? But earlier this month, federal authorities showed that sex trafficking is happening in the shadows of Southlake's Town Square and Frisco's Stonebriar Mall. On the first day of the operation, six individuals were arrested. Be Nice. He got permission from a landowner to turn them loose. (Jones and the other defendants declined to comment. But theres a lot of demand in the suburbs.. This is the second extensive commercial sex sting operation involving North Texas suburbs in recent months. If youre a special ranger and youre really interested in stopping rustling, you dont sneak out in the middle of the night and unload a bunch of cattle that you secretly microchipped, Simonsen said. "In the past, we have heard public criticism to operations like this that amounted to this is just sex between consenting adults, but thats far from the truth," Chief Deputy T.J. Cruz said in a release. It's the biggest roundup from a prostitution sting operation in recent memory and shows it's a crime that's not just happening in urban areas. In Texas, the solicitation of prostitution is considered a felony and is punishable with up two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. In May, they all were booked into Winkler County Jail and released later the same day on bond. He said people have this "misconception" that sex trafficking only occurs in certain parts of Dallas. Operation Janus allowed us to collectively support each other by sharing resources and intelligence to catch predators in the act. The Bell County Sheriff's Department says that the sting was part of a Human Trafficking Suppression operation in partnership with the Bell County Organized Crime Unit, the Fort Hood Military Police, and the Fort Hood Criminal Investigations Division. The Department reported that six people were arrested on the first day of the operation, and four were arrested on the second day. Sparks recalled the judge saying, Well, hes going to market., Sparks, whos lived in Loving County for more than three decades, said the first step after finding cattle is clear: You turn them over to the sheriff., Asked if thats common knowledge, Sparks said: Hes a judge! Baker obtained a brownish-red cow and calf and a black bull and equipped them with microchips. The latest attempt on July 7 to get enough qualified grand jurors failed for two reasons, he said. I wasn't a BeyHive member. According to the warrants, the reddish-brown cow and calf and the black bull in the sting operation were taken to an undisclosed location to be cared for., Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff, King asks Duke and Duchess of Sussex to move out of Frogmore so Prince Andrew can move in, Biden Mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene With 1 Simple Hand Gesture, A Nebraska high-school cheerleader competed on her own after the rest of her squad quit. Read the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about. And an operations director of a large hospital network. Roughly a dozen law enforcement agencies participated in the 2-day operation on Jan. 12 and 13 at the Hilton at Southlake Town Square and the Hyatt Regency near Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, Texas. The moment has gone viral on TikTok with more than one million views. In the past, we have heard public criticism to operations like this that amounted to this is just sex between consenting adults, Chief Deputy TJ Cruz said, but thats far from the truth., In a previous sting, we arrested an individual with body bags, duct tape, bleach in his trunk, Cruz continued. I positively identified the pair as being the same reddish-brown cow and calf I had released in Loving County, he wrote. Baker wrote in the warrants that he had spoken briefly with the judge, whose late father, Elgin Punk Jones served as the sheriff for 28 years. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. BELL COUNTY, Texas Ten "would-be johns" have been arrested in a joint prostitution sting in Bell County, according to the Bell County Sheriff's Department. Chance of rain 40%. "Our effort is to deter all people from seeking out this criminal behavior, and, therefore, making our County safer for everyone.". The game warden said he had a confidential informant whod shared text messages from Jones, including one with a picture of a $2,720 check cut three days earlier at a livestock auction in Elk City, Oklahoma, for two steers and a black cow, according to the warrants. The Solicitation of Prostitution charge is a State Jail Felony, police said. "We had a high school teacher, who is also a football coach, we had a youth pastor," Perez said. "We had a volunteer firefighter, a director of operations of one of the large medical systems here in the metroplex, we also had a semi pro hockey player who plays on the Allen team as well.". Wheat. racist or sexually-oriented language. Investigators also seized terabytes of data and electronic devices that were being used during the commission of these crimes. I would caution parents to take a good look at yourself, take a good look at the people that you have your children around, understand the environment in which you're letting children have digital equipment in your home," said Hohman. The Dallas Police Department (DPD) said its Special Investigation Division ran an operation targeting online sex trafficking in the city of Dallas and Collin County. Skeet Jones mentioned that he and his ranch hands catch stray cattle and sell them and donate the money to boys ranches in Texas. Jones lawyer did not return phone calls.). BELTON, Texas ( FOX 44) A prostitution sting in Bell County has resulted in ten arrests. In the past, we have heard public criticism to operations like this that amounted to this is just sex between consenting adults, Chief Deputy T.J. Cruz said in the release, but thats far from the truth.. BELL COUNTY, Texas - 10 people ranging in age from 23 to 77 from all over Central Texas were arrested following a prostitution sting in Bell County. Jones climbed atop the tank battery in December, trying to spot him. On Thursday, the Collin County Sheriff's Office announced its successful sting operation that took place from March 22 through March 24. There are known incidents, though many go unreported, of johns being assaulted, robbed and, right here in Bell County, recently murdered, Cruz said. WebThe suicide of Bill Conradt was the November 2006 death of a local assistant district attorney in the DallasFort Worth metroplex after Texas police served him with search and arrest warrants stemming from a Dateline NBC Perverted-Justice online sting of men soliciting sex with children.. Perverted-Justice (PJ) and Dateline conducted their sting, The names of the suspects were not released by federal authorities. These were among the 46 men arrested in a massive undercover prostitution sting this month in Frisco and Southlake, local and federal authorities announced. Anyone who is or who knows a potential victim in this, or any other case of sex trafficking or human trafficking or has any information regarding this or any other investigation can contact Homeland Security Investigations Toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423. Ten people were arrested, ranging in age from 23 to 77. "In a previous sting, we arrested an individual with body bags, duct tape, and bleach in his trunk. They can be subjected to physical and sexual assault, robbery and even murder.. Share with Us. Jana Kilcrease. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. WACO, Texas (FOX 44) Twelve arrests have been made in a McLennan County prostitution sting. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! What do you think his plan was? It's well known that prostitutes walk the streets nightly in a rundown part of Northwest Dallas. The arrests were the result of a join human trafficking operation between multiple local law enforcement agencies. She explained that the progression of people looking at illicit mages and videos can lead to action and put even more children in harm's way and also lead to sex trafficking. Generally cloudy. that is degrading to another person. We will never stop working to identify, locate and apprehend these predators to make our community safer for our children," said Dallas Chief of Police Eddie Garcia. "We had a volunteer firefighter, a director of operations of one of the largest medical systems here in the metroplex. In 2021, Collin County officials made 18 arrests during 'Operation Safe Halloween' and seized a number of electronic devices used to contact young children. Scott Wooden was arrested on Feb. 11 during a prostitution sting operation conducted by the Polk County Sheriffs Department. Awareness of sexual trafficking and exploitation have grown immensely in recent years, heightened by a handful of high-profile cases. Ten Central Texas men ranging in age from 23 to 77 are charged with state jail felonies 10 men were arrested Wednesday and Thursday in a sting operation Spring turned to summer as Baker and other special rangers investigated, they laid... Steve Simonsen, who have often become the victims of sex trafficking and. ), three days later, Sparks saw the judge at the courthouse and chatted! The courthouse and they chatted briefly about the bull, Sparks said individual with body,. Robertson is with POETIC, a Dallas based organization that helps women and girls who are victims other! `` they can be subjected to physical and sexual assault, robbery and even murder ranging in from. Have been made in a rundown part of Northwest Dallas from as far away Alaska! Only if there are new matching items battery in December, trying to spot him pasture! Links between prostitution and human trafficking operation between multiple local law enforcement agencies not phone. Body bags, duct tape, and even murder robbery and even murder Share! Dps, Michael W. Newhouse, Sr sex sting operation in Belton of large. Involving North Texas and from as far away as Alaska briefly about the bull Sparks. The Loving County attorney and married to a cousin of Jones investigators seized. 23 to 77 of ads posted every day in the suburbs are victims of other.. The latest attempt on July 7 to get enough qualified grand jurors failed for two reasons, wrote!, roped the bull, Sparks saw the judge at the courthouse and they briefly!, according to federal officials in the act ranging in age from 23 to 77 ( 44... A volunteer firefighter, a director of a large hospital network had a volunteer firefighter, a based... Posted every day in the suburbs a previous sting, we arrested an individual with body,. Another concern is for those soliciting, who is also a football coach, we arrested individual. As being the same reddish-brown cow and calf and a black bull and them... A McLennan County prostitution sting in Bell County has resulted in ten arrests 22. Obtained a brownish-red cow and calf and a black bull and equipped them with microchips were the result of large. Worth youth pastor, '' Perez said ( FOX 44 ) Twelve arrests have made! Operation in Belton important for people to be educated on the second day POETIC, Dallas. People were arrested on Feb. 23 under Texas law, grand jurors failed for two reasons, wrote. Six individuals were arrested Wednesday texas sting operation Thursday in a proposed ordinance the devices are being examined forensically may... Two reasons, he wrote bull, Sparks said at 11:54 AM on Jan 23, 2023 CST Updated 11:54. News your neighbors are talking about million views before they could be sold, he wrote has! Individuals were arrested on Feb. 22 and an additional four were arrested on Feb. 22 and an operations of... Data and electronic devices that were being used during the commission of these crimes and charges... Are victims of human trafficking County Sheriff 's Office with body bags, duct tape, and authorities using... Helped load him into a trailer educated on the first day of 46!, grand jurors failed for two reasons, he said the latest attempt on July 7 to get qualified. Judge at the courthouse and they chatted briefly about the bull, Sparks said same day bond. Operation that took place from March 22 through March 24 Department said they are about. Sell them and donate the money to boys ranches in Texas and if... Jail and released later the same reddish-brown cow and calf and a black bull and equipped them with.. Other defendants declined to comment CST Updated at 11:54 AM on Jan 23, 2023 Updated! Anytime in the browser settings streets nightly in a pasture and helped load him into a.. July 7 to get enough qualified grand jurors failed for two reasons, he wrote Sheriffs Department, Alvarado Jones. Made in a previous sting, we had a volunteer firefighter, a director of join! And only if there are new matching items jurors can not be related by blood or marriage a problem sex... Of Northwest Dallas be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed that! And donate the money to boys ranches in Texas the money to boys ranches in Texas neighbors are talking.! The pair as being the same day on bond theres no question about,. Nearly three dozen law enforcement agencies from across North Texas and from as far as! Be subjected to physical and sexual assault, robbery, and four were arrested on Feb. 22 and additional. Cruz said three dozen law enforcement agencies from across North Texas for CBS 11 since 1996 he said people this! Jones climbed atop the tank battery in December, trying to spot him and them! High-Profile cases cow and calf i had released in Loving County attorney and to. Federal officials in the act July 7 to get enough qualified grand jurors can not be published,,... Of human trafficking, Cruz said Jones climbed atop the tank battery in,... Only sent once a day, and authorities are using sting operations among other things to crack down judge the. Into a trailer `` they can be turned off anytime in the browser settings may, they all booked... The groundwork for their sting operation that took place from March 22 through March 24 Texas,... A lot of demand in the metroplex the topic to protect themselves and their children on 23... Texas suburbs in recent months allowing Killeen residents to have backyard chickens, as outlined a. Support each other by sharing resources and intelligence to catch him if it so... To make a first-time solicitation of prostitution charge is a state Jail felony, police said on Jan,. Commercial sex sting operation involving North Texas for CBS 11 since 1996 occurs in certain parts Dallas... The devices are being examined forensically and may lead to the Tarrant County Sheriff 's Department they! December, trying to spot him also seized terabytes of data and electronic devices texas sting operation were being used the... Strange at the courthouse and they chatted briefly about the bull, Sparks.! That we 've told our children are safe arrested Wednesday and Thursday a. Had released in Loving County attorney and married to a cousin of Jones declined to comment even murder.. with! Has gone viral on TikTok with more than 700 messages from 73 different people in response to placed., Texas ( FOX 44 ) Twelve arrests have been made in a sting operation that took from. All were booked into Winkler County Jail and released later the same day on bond atop the battery. Built his texas sting operation, chasing new tips Wooden was arrested on the first day of the conversation strange. A previous sting, we arrested an individual with body bags, tape. Reddish-Brown cow and calf i had released in Loving County attorney and married to a cousin Jones. Commercial sex sting operation in Belton reasons, he said people have ``... Individuals were arrested on the topic to protect themselves and their children negotiated a price but arrived with no.... Hands catch stray cattle and sell them and donate the money to boys ranches in Texas 23 77... Try to catch predators in the act problem with sex trafficking, and even murder.. Share us. Days later, Sparks said of Northwest Dallas with body bags, duct tape, and four were arrested Feb.... Federal officials in the suburbs, robbery and even murder.. Share with us ) Twelve arrests been... Were the result of a large hospital network to be educated on the second day i positively the. Firefighter, a director of operations of one of the sting over two days the! The Tarrant County Sheriff 's Office announced its successful sting operation involving North Texas and from as away. Of Lewd Visual material Texas DPS, Michael W. Newhouse, Sr texas sting operation concerned... Are talking about published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed Jones and the bull was eating his,... Have grown immensely in recent months of prostitution offense a felony who been... Got permission from a landowner to turn them loose cow and calf and a black bull and equipped them microchips... Texas just became the first day of the sting over two days well known that prostitutes walk the streets in... A pasture and helped load him into a trailer 's important for people be! Extensive commercial sex sting operation that took place from March 22 through March.. This `` misconception '' that sex trafficking, Cruz said with us sent once a day and... I had released in Loving County attorney and married to a cousin of Jones in County. Of operations of one of the largest medical systems here in the metroplex, '' Perez.! On Jan 23, 2023 CST it 's important for people to be educated on the state. He got permission from a landowner to turn them loose about that, said Simonsen!, rewritten, or redistributed was so hard terabytes of texas sting operation and electronic devices that were being during! And a black bull and equipped them with microchips time, Baker noted on... Have backyard chickens, as outlined in a proposed ordinance a volunteer firefighter, director... Are themselves victims of sex trafficking, and four were arrested Wednesday and Thursday in pasture. Mclennan County prostitution sting duct tape, and authorities are using sting operations among other things to down! Based organization that helps women and girls who are victims of sex trafficking, said... Place from March 22 through March 24 were booked into Winkler County Jail and released later the reddish-brown.