BELTON, Texas (FOX 44) A prostitution sting in Bell County has resulted in ten arrests. 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. Sarah Bahari is a trending news reporter. 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. All rights reserved. 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. 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. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. or redistributed. 10 men were arrested last week in a sting operation in Belton. An additional four individuals were arrested on the second day of the operation, the news release stated. More than 60 men have been snared in a sting operation as they allegedly tried to pay for sex earlier this year at a bogus modeling studio police opened in the Houston area. Nov. 2, 2015. Simonsen said the county hasnt successfully empaneled a grand jury in about a year. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. The latest attempt on July 7 to get enough qualified grand jurors failed for two reasons, he said. Right? 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.. 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. H.B. Each of the people arrested was charged with Soliciting a Prostitute, which in Texas is a state felony. 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. Miles is an award-winning reporter who has been covering North Texas for CBS 11 since 1996. North Texas Porch Thieves Becoming Bolder, Fort Worth Reviews Violent Crime Response Initiative. BELTON, Texas (FOX 44) A prostitution sting in Bell County has resulted in ten arrests. ATLANTA: PROTESTERS CALL FOR 'VIOLENCE' AGAINST POLICE AFTER SHOOTING LEAVES 1 DEAD, OFFICER INJURED. On Thursday, the Collin County Sheriff's Office announced its successful sting operation that took place from March 22 through March 24. But what do they mean? If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Busse, the sheriff, denied that to Baker. 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. Market data provided by Factset. Williams told Baker the bull was feral and came from the river, according to the warrants. "We had a high school teacher, who is also a football coach, we had a youth pastor," said John Perez with Homeland Security Investigations. Skeet Jones mentioned that he and his ranch hands catch stray cattle and sell them and donate the money to boys ranches in Texas. We also had a semi-pro hockey player. 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Additionally, one of them received a charge of resisting arrest, but Bell County did not identify which. And on Oct. 18, thats what he did, setting the operation into motion. Our effort is to deter all people from seeking out this criminal behavior, and, therefore, making our County safer for everyone.. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Jones sold the cattle at auction in New Mexico and sent the money to a boys ranch in Amarillo, according to the warrants. Fuchs said the investigation is ongoing and could result in more charges. 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. A high school teacher and football coach and a local youth pastor were among the 46 men arrested in a massive undercover prostitution sting in Texas, local and federal authorities announced. Fort Worth youth pastor Lamarcus Strickland was also arrested, according to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. 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. 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. The operation led to the arrest of these 23 individuals for Solicitation of Prostitution: Dallas police said it also seized three firearms and more than $6,000 in cash. 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. Don't Threaten. "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. And then the ripple effect of that is we'll catch people that are making these types of offenses. "Here in Collin County, we will continue to do what is necessary to protect our children," said Sheriff Skinner. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. However, Perez said, "In reality, it's not. Be Nice. 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. On Thursday, the Collin County Sheriff's Office announced its successful sting operation that took place from March 22 through March 24. Weeks passed. The arrestees of this operation are listed below: Our effort is to deter all people from seeking out this criminal behavior, and, therefore, making our County safer for everyone.. Daniel Johnson, a resident of Texas, sang "Hallelujah Here Below" by Elevation Worship to his premature son, Remington Hayze Johnson. 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 Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. In 2021, Collin County officials made 18 arrests during 'Operation Safe Halloween' and seized a number of electronic devices used to contact young children. "There's thousands and thousands of ads posted every day in the metroplex," Perez said. 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. Baker obtained a brownish-red cow and calf and a black bull and equipped them with microchips. 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. Threats of harming another There are known incidents, though many go unreported, of johns being assaulted, robbed and, right here in Bell County, recently murdered, Cruz said. Some individuals are in custody but charges are pending.Additional names and charges are to be released. "There are known incidents, though many go unreported, of johns being assaulted, robbed and, right here in Bell County, recently murdered, Cruz said. Police arrested a youth pastor and a high school coach and teacher for 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. Police arrested 23 people after an investigation at short-term rentals in Plano and Dallas. 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. 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 The law went into effect earlier this month. 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. Spring turned to summer as Baker built his case, chasing new tips. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. He later learned that ranch hand Cody Williams, 31, caught the cow, according to the warrants. 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. By Kevin Krause 6:07 PM on May 24, 2021 CDT "I'm very happy to see those soliciting being prosecuted because if there's no demand there's no supply," said Chelsea Robertson. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. 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. Sarah Rumpf is a writer on the breaking news team for Fox News Digital. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. One was also charged with resisting arrest. 20. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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.. Sarah Bahari, Staff writer. Some of these were teachers who have direct access to our children. As Baker and other special rangers investigated, they also laid the groundwork for their sting operation. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The Wheat Ranch no longer runs cattle, Sparks said. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, co-wrote legislation with Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to reauthorize the Abolish Human Trafficking Act, which provides tens of millions of dollars to law enforcement and social-service agencies to combat sexual exploitation. 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 But for weeks, the black bull continued to elude Jones and his ranch hands, even though they put out feed and water, Baker wrote. 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. Officers responded to more than 700 messages from 73 different people in response to ads placed as part of the sting over two days. Among the 46 men included a high school football coach, a youth pastor and a director of operations at a hospital. Ten people were arrested, ranging in age from 23 to 77. What do you think his plan was? High 83F. There was a problem saving your notification. The safety of alleged johns is also a concern for law enforcement. BELTON, Texas ( FOX 44) A prostitution sting in Bell County has resulted in ten arrests. Officers then responded to more than 700 messages from 73 different people in response to the ads over two days. BELL COUNTY, Texas Ten "would-be johns" have been arrested in a joint prostitution sting in Bell County, according John Perez with Homeland Security Investigations oversaw an operation involving undercover officers placing ads that blended in with countless others found online. Hohman said it's important for people to be educated on the topic to protect themselves and their children. Chance of rain 40%. Baker asked. person will not be tolerated. The operation was carried out by about 15 officers from the Texas City crime suppression unit, the U.S. 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 said in a prepared statement. 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. Bell County Sheriffs Department released the identities of 10 men arrested on prostitution charges in a human trafficking suppression operation that I wasn't a BeyHive member. 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