J.D. Jones, the scion of a prominent ranching family and the top elected official in this sparsely populated West Texas county for the past 15 years, is charged with three felony counts of livestock theft and one count of engaging in organized crime potentially facing decades in prison if convicted. Some of these were teachers who have direct access to our children. This is the second extensive commercial sex sting operation involving North Texas suburbs in recent months. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. Market data provided by Factset. Updated: 6:26 PM CST February 25, 2023. The Sheriffs Department is also concerned with the potential connection between prostitution and human trafficking. 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, 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Should the Killeen City Council agree to pay an architect $108,000 to design a new City Hall, which may go before voters in the fall? Our effort is to deter all people from seeking out this criminal behavior, and, therefore, making our County safer for everyone.. Agents in both Texas and Mississippi teamed up making a total of 15 arrests. Authorities in Texas have arrested at least 30 people intending to buy sex and rescued a child over three days as part of an undercover human trafficking investigation The Bell County Sheriffs Department, with its partners the Bell County Baker wrote in the warrant that Jones told him during the interview at the sheriffs office that his understanding of the estray law is that if cattle are not marked, anyone can claim them., Jones told Baker the sheriff had given him permission to take strays to sale as long as they werent marked or branded. And then the ripple effect of that is we'll catch people that are making these types of offenses. 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. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Operation Janus allowed us to collectively support each other by sharing resources and intelligence to catch predators in the act. (Jones and the other defendants declined to comment. The names of the suspects were not released by federal authorities. There is no indication from the records that the judge or the ranch hands had a role in the cow killings, which remain unsolved. HOUSTON Six men were arrested and charged after a sex sting operation last week in Harris County, the Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office announced Authorities in Texas have arrested nearly 50 people, including one high school teacher and a youth pastor, as part of a sting operation aimed at combatting sex trafficking. BELL COUNTY, Texas Ten "would-be johns" have been arrested in a joint prostitution sting in Bell County, according In regards to sex trafficking and child pornography, Hohman said there's no bias and that people from all walks of life, jobs and backgrounds can commit these crimes. Many prostitutes are themselves victims of human trafficking, Cruz said. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. What is a police sting operation? 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. You go ahead., Alvarado, Jones ranch hand, roped the bull in a pasture and helped load him into a trailer. racist or sexually-oriented language. The names of the suspects were not released by federal authorities. Texas father sings 'worship song' to premature son who was given 21% survival rate, in a massive undercover prostitution sting in Texas, resigned after his arrest for solicitation of a prostitute, Fort Worth youth pastor Lamarcus Strickland, the Department of Homeland Securitys Blue Campaign. Read Across America Week at Hay Branch Elementary, Local sorority to host youth symposium in Killeen, Increasing Chance for Severe Storms Thursday | Central Texas Forecast, 3 skyscraper-sized asteroids making approach to Earth this week, Twelve arrested in Waco prostitution sting, Waco Police believe sexual assault suspect has other victims. The operation wrapped up Friday with the rescue of 28 children and the arrest of 59 people who are now facing at least 80 criminal charges. Over the course of the operation, which took place across Feb. 22 and 23, female deputies posed as prostitutes in digital ads on websites reportedly known for promoting prostitution, said the Sheriff's Department. Baker made it over there before they could be sold, he wrote. North Texas Porch Thieves Becoming Bolder, Fort Worth Reviews Violent Crime Response Initiative, At Least 36 Dead After Trains Collide Head-on in Greece: Indescribable Tragedy', LIVE RADAR: Severe T-Storm Watch Until Noon, Powerful Storms Forecast for Thursday, The Pandemic Altered Many Things, Including Alcohol AbuseThese Are the Warning Signs. WACO, Texas (FOX 44) Twelve arrests have been made in a McLennan County prostitution sting. Forty-six men who included a high school football coach, a youth pastor and a director of operations at a hospital were recently arrested during a multi-agency operation targeting the demand for commercial sex in North Texas, a federal agency announced on Friday. Legal Statement. Thank you for reading! 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. This fall, Jones is running unopposed for re-election, but some of his allies, including his sister, are facing challengers for the first time in years, amid heated debate over how the county should be run. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. There are resources for Bell County residents who have knowledge of human trafficking or are in need themselves. 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. "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. The arrests were the result of a join human trafficking operation between multiple local law enforcement agencies. FRISCO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) Federal authorities announced a major crackdown on prostitution that reveals sex trafficking in North Texas remains an ongoing On Wednesday and Thursday, digital ads were posted to known websites promoting prostitution. This is one of many operations the Collin County Sheriffs have conducted. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. Although the names of the 46 suspects have not been released, the Lewisville Independent School District confirmed Marcus High School teacher and football coach Cecil Tim Morrison was among them. Law enforcement groups say over the course of the operation, 28 children were rescued from online sexual abuse, and investigators seized terabytes of data and The men looking to pay for sex responded to the ads, arrived at the hotels in Frisco and Southlake, and were greeted by police officers waiting for them. What do you think his plan was? Randy Reynolds, the district attorney in charge of prosecuting felony cases, did not return phone calls. Additionally, one of them received a charge of resisting arrest, but Bell County did not identify which. We also had a semi-pro hockey player. ', Greek transport minister resigns over train crash; 36 dead, Lineup announced for this years Capitol Hill Block Party, There's no shortage of salt for NYC roads, Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey reveals she still cries watching the hit movie: 'Feels like I'm living it', Temple University students march and protest to demand better safety. The arrestees of this operation are listed below: Known as "Operation Home Alone", law enforcement officials used the undercover operation to target suspects believed to have been preying on young adolescents online. A 60-day sting operation conducted by law enforcement officers from several agencies netted the arrests of nearly a dozen suspects accused of committing crimes Advocates who help women and children survivors of sex trafficking said the arrests shed light on a bigger problem. / CBS Texas. 10 men arrested in prostitution sting in Belton; 6 from Killeen, By Jana Lynn Kilcrease | Herald Staff Writer. ), Three days later, Sparks saw the judge at the courthouse and they chatted briefly about the bull, Sparks said. It just makes you wonder, where the hell the world is going?". Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Nobody's safe? Fuchs said the investigation is ongoing and could result in more charges. The backstory of what led to the arrests of Jones, a former sheriffs deputy and two ranch hands in May is chronicled in a stack of warrants obtained by NBC News. 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. It's all over the metroplex.". Who wants to show up for jury duty, which a lot of people dont really want to do anyway, and get a free trip to the jail house? Simonsen asked. Also arrested were Christopher Bell, 44, of Temple; Steven Gwynn, 59, of Eddy; Danny Reed, 36, of Georgetown; and Clifford Visel, 77, of Round Rock. Example video title will go here for this video. The safety of alleged johns is also a concern for law enforcement. The operation coincided with the Department of Homeland Securitys Blue Campaign to highlight Human Trafficking Prevention Month, which is January. Officers responded to more than 700 messages from 73 different people in response to ads placed as part of the sting over two days. And an operations director of a large hospital network. 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 One was also charged with resisting arrest. Why try to catch him if it was so hard? that is degrading to another person. Law officials say 15 arrests were made following an undercover online child solicitation operation. More than two dozen children have been rescued and nearly 60 people are facing criminal charges related to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, police say. A youth pastor was among the 46 men arrested after an investigation revealed those suspected behind sex trafficking cases in North Texas, according to a report from CBS News. They can be subjected to physical and sexual assault, robbery, and even murder.. A week later, a Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association market inspector told Baker the cows had turned up at the Big Spring Livestock Auction in Big Spring, Texas, about two-and-a-half hours away. Possession of Child Pornography Possession of Lewd Visual Material Texas DPS, Michael W. Newhouse, Sr. Often commercial sex workers are the victims of sex trafficking because they are either underage or were forced into the role, Dallas branch of Homeland Security Investigations special agent Lester Hayes explained to Fox 4. 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, Officers then responded to more than 700 messages from 73 different people in response to the ads over two days. "The victims of these heinous crimes are treated like commodities, used to make as much money as possible, as quickly as possible," Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn told Fox 4. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. The North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and FBI Dallas Divisions Child Exploitation Task Force said Friday that from Jan. 16 through Feb. 10 highly skilled computer crimes investigators from agencies around North Texas took part in Operation Janus, an effort to identify and rescue children forced into sexual acts and arrest the abusers who were trafficking images and videos of those acts online. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, Youth pastor, teacher among 46 arrested in North Texas prostitution sting, Police arrested 23 people after an investigation at short-term rentals in Plano and Dallas, Short-term rental debacle: 23 arrested in prostitution ring operating in Dallas and Plano, 15-year-old girl disappeared from a Dallas Mavericks game, Garland police detective detained by Dallas police on prostitution-related citation, Mall owner backs out of plans for paid parking at D-FW shopping center, About half-million North Texans lose extra food benefits, D-FW under severe thunderstorm watch until noon as quick-moving storm hits region, Frisco trustee goes to conservative radio to defend transgender harassment accusation, Dallas police chief fires officer accused of inappropriate force, suspends different cop, Sean Menke, CEO of Southlake-based travel tech firm Sabre Corp., stepping down, Eli Lilly cuts insulin prices in move to make diabetes medicine more affordable, Texas urges five big pension funds to cut off financial firms boycotting fossil fuels, Shermans semiconductor hub attracts massive land buy for home development, Marriott fires back at Michael Irvins request for expedited evidence in $100M lawsuit, Mexicos democracy is in danger, and we could all pay the price, Frisco ISDs Marvin Lowe has a credibility problem, Kyrie Irving says pressure to thrive with Luka Doncic, Mavericks has changed his style. 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. Theres no question about that, said Steve Simonsen, who is the Loving County attorney and married to a cousin of Jones. or anything. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) conducts minor sting operations as part of its enforcement of these laws, and the TABC is very transparent about the manner in which they conduct these operations. BELTON, Texas ( FOX 44) A prostitution sting in Bell County has resulted in ten arrests. He got permission from a landowner to turn them loose. KPD: Man charged in 2020 Killeen homicide case, First Cavalry Division reflects on shared history with Buffalo Soldiers, Ex-ABC journalist charged in child sexual exploitation case, Reader weighs in on BISD decision to allow staffers to carry guns, 10 Heights residents currently preparing to run in May 6 municipal election, Heights reader asserts injustice should never be the standard, Killeen 3rd-grader finds bullet at school, Killeen City Council candidates talk crime, other issues at newspaper forum, Killeen man accused of breaking into frozen treats shop, Killeen burglar headed to prison for 8 years, Cove Fire Department announces Young as new chief, Confederate controversy: Minor launches campaign to raise money for statue relocation. ), Three days later, Sparks saw the judge at the courthouse and they chatted briefly the! Rewritten, or redistributed is one of them received a charge of resisting arrest, Bell... 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