Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She previously worked as a writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she covered a bit of everything. 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 Below are those formally charged so far in the operation. 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. Some individuals are in custody but charges are pending.Additional names and charges are to be released. "There's thousands and thousands of ads posted every day in the metroplex," Perez said. We also had a semi-pro hockey player. or redistributed. 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. 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. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Share with Us. What do you think his plan was?. 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. BELTON, Texas (FOX 44) A prostitution sting in Bell County has resulted in ten arrests. 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. / CBS Texas. "They can be subjected to physical and sexual assault, robbery, and even murder. "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.". "Here in Collin County, we will continue to do what is necessary to protect our children," said Sheriff Skinner. WACO, Texas (FOX 44) Twelve arrests have been made in a McLennan County prostitution sting. 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. The law went into effect earlier this month. 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 Tuesday. Read the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about. Legal Statement. Officials in El Paso, Midland, Ector and Tom Green recovered 70 children ranging in age from 10 to 17 who were victims of sex trafficking, physical and sexual abuse, according to a press release from the Department of Homeland Security. ", The Sheriffs Department says it's also concerned with the potential connection between prostitution and human trafficking. Texas law enforcement worked to uncover a huge prostitute sting of 46 community men. What is a police sting operation? 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. 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. Threats of harming another The devices are being examined forensically and may lead to the investigation of other offenders and additional charges. Each of the arrested individuals was charged with Soliciting a Prostitute, a state felony in Texas. Jones climbed atop the tank battery in December, trying to spot him. This is the second extensive commercial sex sting operation involving North Texas suburbs in recent months. The Central Texas sting operation from August 1 to August 4 involved Bell County investigators posing online as a juvenile under 17 years old. Fuchs said the investigation is ongoing and could result in more charges. They were afraid the bull would get in with their cattle, Jones replied. WebLike many other states, Texas police run plenty of sting operations. Spring turned to summer as Baker built his case, chasing new tips. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He said people have this "misconception" that sex trafficking only occurs in certain parts of Dallas. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism One was also charged with resisting arrest. Use the 'Report' link on Our effort is to deter all people from seeking out this criminal behavior, and, therefore, making our County safer for everyone.. 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. 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. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) In January 2022, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal Investigations Division (CID) conducted multiple Adult Prostitution Operations and Online Solicitation of Minor Operations throughout the West Texas Region. He knows.. It's well known that prostitutes walk the streets nightly in a rundown part of Northwest Dallas. They may be geared to catching online predators using sites like BackPage.com, drug dealers or johns using quote: 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. These were among the 46 men arrested in a massive undercover prostitution sting this month in Frisco and Southlake, local and federal authorities announced. 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. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas officials said the undercover operation coincides with the Department of Homeland Securitys Blue Campaign to highlight Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. "In a previous sting, we arrested an individual with body bags, duct tape, and bleach in his trunk. In May, they all were booked into Winkler County Jail and released later the same day on bond. I positively identified the pair as being the same reddish-brown cow and calf I had released in Loving County, he wrote. 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. Latest timing, chances, Gallery: Photos of 2021 I-35W pileup released with NTSB report, Longhorn Ballroom, famed Dallas dancehall, reopening in spring 2023 after renovations, Man arrested in connection to shooting death of 16-year-old girl found in Oak Cliff creek, police say. 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 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. 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! This is one of many operations the Collin County Sheriffs have conducted. The Bell County Sheriffs Department, with its partners the Bell County Organized Crime Unit, th Be Nice. Ten people were arrested, 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. The names of the suspects were not released by federal authorities. None of the defendants have been indicted by a grand jury, which is the next step in the legal process. Be Truthful. The undercover officers placed ads that blended in with countless others found online, according to CBS News. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. In addition to the trafficking task force, agencies that took part in this months operation included the Arlington, Colleyville, Dallas, Flower Mound, Frisco, Irving and Midlothian police departments; the Collin, Dallas and Tarrant county sheriffs departments; and the Dallas County district attorneys office. ", Another concern is for those soliciting, who have often become the victims of other crimes. Sarah Bahari, Staff writer. DALLAS Forty-six people have been arrested in connection with a commercial sex sting across North Texas, including a volunteer firefighter, youth pastor, Police arrested 23 people after an investigation at short-term rentals in Plano and Dallas. In Texas, the solicitation of prostitution is considered a felony and is punishable with up two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The men had arranged online to meet at the hotels intending to pay for sex, authorities said. According to federal officials in the Dallas branch of Homeland Security Investigations, one of the 46 men was Fort Worth pastor Lamarcus Strickland. During the operation, investigators seized a large number of electronic devices that will undergo forensic examination and may result in additional criminal charges being filed. The Dallas area has a problem with sex trafficking, and authorities are using sting operations among other things to crack down. Miles is an award-winning reporter who has been covering North Texas for CBS 11 since 1996. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Skeet, hes not ours, Sparks recalled saying in an interview with NBC News. Chief Deputy TJ Cruz explained that operations like these are meant to protect public safety and prevent human trafficking. Keep it Clean. And they are required to reside within the county, which has become a flashpoint since the Loving County justice of the peace in May sent four prospective jurors including Jones son and a county commissioner to jail on a contempt order for allegedly not living there. The investigation involved nearly three dozen law enforcement agencies from across North Texas and from as far away as Alaska. All rights reserved. What do you think his plan was? After trying fruitlessly to catch them by putting out feed as bait, Jones and Medlin and the other ranch hands rounded them up in September with the help of a helicopter. They can be subjected to physical and sexual assault, robbery, and even murder.. The latest attempt on July 7 to get enough qualified grand jurors failed for two reasons, he said. All rights reserved, Following a Delivery Truck? Another concern is for those Soliciting, who have often become the victims of other.... 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