One was also charged with resisting arrest. You have permission to edit this article. "There are known incidents, though many go unreported, of johns being assaulted, robbed and, right here in Bell County, recently murdered," Cruz said. The names of the suspects were not released by federal authorities. Investigators said the alleged list of crimes ranges from meeting victims to possessing harmful material on electronics. MENTONE, Texas On a December day in 2021, Loving County Judge Skeet Jones, 71, climbed atop an oilfield tank surrounded by wide-open Texas desert dressed in a business suit and toting a pair of binoculars, hoping to spot an elusive black bull. "We had a high school teacher, who is also a football coach, we had a youth pastor," Perez said. Each of those arrested individuals were charged with soliciting a prostitute, a state felony in Texas. Jeremy Fuchs, a spokesman for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, a cadre of peace officers who specialize in agricultural crimes, said the organization stands by the arrests of the judge and the other defendants. She previously worked as a writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she covered a bit of everything. 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 aim of the operation was to rescue child victims as well as apprehend abusers who were trafficking illegal images and videos of children forced into sexual Many prostitutes are themselves victims of human trafficking, Cruz said. They can be subjected to physical and sexual assault, robbery, and even murder.. "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. On Thursday, the Collin County Sheriff's Office announced its successful sting operation that took place from March 22 through March 24. 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 in Belton. He later learned that ranch hand Cody Williams, 31, caught the cow, according to the warrants. The safety of alleged johns is also a concern for law enforcement. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Cloudy skies this evening followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Baker obtained a brownish-red cow and calf and a black bull and equipped them with microchips. Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. The Wheat Ranch no longer runs cattle, Sparks said. I wasn't a BeyHive member. Ten people were arrested, ranging in age from 23 to 77. WACO, Texas (FOX 44) Twelve arrests have been made in a McLennan County prostitution sting. The Waco Police Department said Friday afternoon that its There are known incidents, though many go unreported, of johns being assaulted, robbed and, right here in Bell County, recently murdered, Cruz said. quote: The devices are being examined forensically and may lead to the investigation of other offenders and additional charges. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Dallas Police Department's Special Investigation Division ran an operation targeting online sex trafficking in the city of Dallas and Collin County. On Wednesday and Thursday, digital ads were posted to known websites promoting prostitution. 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. Legal Statement. She welcomes the enforcement and glad to see authorities focusing it on those who are often forced to sell their bodies. A Connecticut woman says her two 10-year-old German Shepherds, Cimo and Lieben, were shot, beheaded, and killed by a hunter from New York. Share with Us. Youth pastor, coach among 46 arrested in Texas sex trafficking sting, 90-year-old woman among 100 rescued from S.A. apartment fire, Hazy mornings coming to San Antonio on Friday, NWS says, Texas chain with San Antonio bakeries files for bankruptcy, How a viral chicken fried steak briefly closed down Mr. Juicy, Puerto Rican restaurant finds new life in former Rosario's spot, Report: San Antonio Rep. Joaquin Castro diagnosed with cancer, Massive pirate-themed San Antonio park delays opening date, 'Spreading the love': Buc-ee's begins plans for world domination, TX DPS duped into shipping at least 3,000 Texas drivers license, Spoon, Billy Currington, and more set for New Braunfels shows, 6 Cabo hotels for your spring break vacation, HOKA dropped a brand new version of their most popular shoe. 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. And an operations director of a large hospital network. 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. Amanda Brim, Lewisville ISDs Chief Communications Officer, said Monday that Morrison was placed on administrative leave when the district was made aware of his arrest, and last week, he submitted his resignation. Example video title will go here for this video. Residents can contact Aware Central Texas at 254-813-0968 locally or can report nationally by calling the Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting "Help" to 233733. 20. Sarah Rumpf is a writer on the breaking news team for Fox News Digital. It's not immediately clear which of the suspects listed below have obtained attorneys. / CBS Texas. "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.". 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. 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. Jonathon Alvarado, another ranch hand, tried but failed to rope the calf. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism ', 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 sting operation comes on the heels of a new Texas prostitution law which went into effect on September 1, 2021, which turned the crime of soliciting prostitution from a Class B Misdemeanor to a State Jail Felony, which carries up to two years in state jail and a fine up to $10,000. Don't Threaten. "By targeting those involved in this crime, we hope to disrupt this activity and provide assistance to human trafficking victims by getting them connected to the advocates and resources they need," said Hayes. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. When ranch hand Cody Williams pulled up at the barn hauling the bull, Baker was waiting. Hohman said it's important for people to be educated on the topic to protect themselves and their children. "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. ), Three days later, Sparks saw the judge at the courthouse and they chatted briefly about the bull, Sparks said. Officers then responded to more than 700 messages from 73 different people in response to the ads over two days. There is no indication from the records that the judge or the ranch hands had a role in the cow killings, which remain unsolved. Use the 'Report' link on 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. Theres no question about that, said Steve Simonsen, who is the Loving County attorney and married to a cousin of Jones. Baker took his case to a justice of the peace in Midland, nearly 100 miles away from Loving County, who issued the warrants for Jones, Medlin, Williams and Alvarado. BELL COUNTY, Texas Ten "would-be johns" have been arrested in a joint prostitution sting in Bell County, according It also allowed us to recover children and protect them from further harm, said FBI Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge James J. Dwyer. Sarah Bahari, Staff writer. 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. that is degrading to another person. Officials say six of the men were arrested the first day with four more being taken into custody on the second day of the operation. He knows.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 11:30 AM on Jan 23, 2023 CST Updated at 11:54 AM on Jan 23, 2023 CST. GALVESTON, Texas - Fourteen were arrested after a sting operation was conducted in Galveston. 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 10 men were arrested Wednesday and Thursday in a sting operation in Belton. "There's thousands and thousands of ads posted every day in the metroplex," Perez said. Wheat. It's all over the metroplex.". A high school teacher and football coach. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Randy Reynolds, the district attorney in charge of prosecuting felony cases, did not return phone calls. 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. Jones sold the cattle at auction in New Mexico and sent the money to a boys ranch in Amarillo, according to the warrants. Jones climbed atop the tank battery in December, trying to spot him. Known as "Operation Home A man was arrested in an international sting operation targeting drug smugglers. Out of the arrests, 11 were charged with online solicitation of a minor, four with prostitution of a person less than 18-years-old, one charged with sexual performance of a child, and one with possession of child pornography. And on Oct. 18, thats what he did, setting the operation into motion. I never, never, ever had a conversation about stray cattle with the judge.. On Thursday, the Collin County Sheriff's Office announced its successful sting operation that took place from March 22 through March 24. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. Scott Wooden was arrested on Feb. 11 during a prostitution sting operation conducted by the Polk County Sheriffs Department. (Tarrant County Sheriff's Office). Awareness of sexual trafficking and exploitation have grown immensely in recent years, heightened by a handful of high-profile cases. 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. "These predators are very sophisticated in their use of technology and exploit online forums to target and communicate with children. 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.. The story behind the cattle sting starts on March 2, 2021, when Special Ranger Marty Baker, 58, was dispatched from Midland, Texas, to Loving County to investigate the shooting deaths of five black stray cattle. Advocates who help women and children survivors of sex trafficking said the arrests shed light on a bigger problem. Officers responded to more than 700 messages from 73 different people in response to ads placed as part of the sting over two days. There was a problem saving your notification. The Sheriffs Department is also concerned with the potential connection between prostitution and human trafficking. Additionally, one of the men received a charge of resisting arrest. "We had a high school teacher, who is also a football coach, we had a youth pastor," said John Perez with Homeland Security Investigations. He said people have this "misconception" that sex trafficking only occurs in certain parts of Dallas. Rich said many of the arrests were the result of leads generated through reporting to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In Frisco, two hotels were used for the undercover operation by the Department of Homeland Security. By Kevin Krause 6:07 PM on May 24, 2021 CDT 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. Fort Worth youth pastor Lamarcus Strickland was also arrested, according to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office.