Tag Archives: Human Trafficking

Child Abuse, Child Pornography, Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking, Physical Abuse, TX AG

TX AG Teams Round Up Child Predators

.jpg photo of Texas Attorney General LogoAG Paxton’s Law Enforcement Round Up

April 1, 2022

HUMAN TRAFFICKING UNIT

In Smith County, Brandon Lee Mon Johnson pled guilty to continuous trafficking of persons and sexual assault of a child on February 28 in Smith County.  Johnson was sentenced to 40 years confinement in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison.

CHILD EXPLOITATION UNIT

In Bexar County, Mel Alan Loeffler was arrested on March 3 on five counts of possession of child pornography. Loeffler provided a voluntary statement and confessed to downloading and viewing images and videos of child pornography.  He was then transported to the Bexar County Jail where he was booked without incident.  This case was received as a NCMEC CyberTipline Report.

In Bexar County, Rudy Jesse Garza was arrested on March 2 for one count of possession of child pornography.  Garza was transported to the Bexar County Jail where he was booked without incident and will appear before a magistrate.  This case was received as a NCMEC CyberTipline report.

In Brazos County, Wayne Marcus Silva was arrested on March 8 after being charged with three counts of possession of child pornography.  The 49 year-old Brazos County resident gave a full confession to posing as a 16-year-old male to communicate via social media with a 12-year-old female in Seattle.  Silva requested the child send him nude photographs and videos of herself.  Silva’s case will be presented to a Brazos County grand jury for five counts of possession of child pornography and sexual performance by a child.  This apprehension first came as a referral from the Seattle Washington Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Taskforce.

In Kerr County, Christopher Allen Cuellar pled guilty to three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, three counts of indecency with a child through sexual contact, and two counts of promotion of child pornography on March 1.  Cuellar is scheduled for a sentencing hearing in May.  This case was referred from a proactive undercover ICAC investigation from North Carolina.

In McLennan County, a Grand Jury returned a one-count indictment for possession of visual depictions of sexual activities by minors against Steven Rathbun on March 8.  This case was referred by the NCMEC CyberTipline report.

In Williamson County, Aidan Wix was sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication on four counts of possession of child pornography on March 2.  He confessed that he downloaded and possessed multiple images of child pornography.  Wix was previously arrested on four counts of possession of child pornography.

To read about more arrests click here.

Child Abuse, Child Pornography, Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking, Physical Abuse, TX AG

Texas Attorney General Law Enforcement Roundup

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.jpg photo of Texas Attorney General LogoTX AG Paxton’s Law Enforce­ment Round Up

February 23, 2022 Press Release

HUMAN TRAFFICKING UNIT

In Bexar County, a suspect was arrested on January 25 for a probation violation and the suspect’s cell phone was seized as evidence in connection with a child pornography investigation.  The Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Fugitive and Human Trafficking Units made the arrest.  The OAG will be the lead agency for this investigation.

FUGITIVE APPREHENSION UNIT

In Multiple Regions, during the month of January, the OAG Fugitive Apprehension Unit (FAU) conducted a roundup focusing on parole violators on parole for sex offenses, or those previously arrested for sex offenses, those wanted for failure to register as a sex offender, and suspects wanted by local agencies for various sex offenses.  Of the 112 total arrests made by FAU in the month of January, 42 met the roundup criteria.

In Bell County, Antonio Trevino was arrested on February 2 for violating the conditions of his parole by incurring monitor violations.  Trevino was previously convicted of assault, injury to a child, serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to life in prison.

In Bexar County, Michael Rene Rodriguez was indicted on December 21 by a Bexar County Grand Jury on five counts of possession of child pornography.  Rodriguez was subsequently arrested on all five counts.  The Digital Forensics Unit assisted in this investigation.

In Bexar County, Norberto Lazaro Delagarza, a Tango Laredo (Larete) Gang member, was arrested on February 1 for violating the conditions of his parole by absconding and on an outstanding federal warrant for probation violation for dangerous drugs.  Delagarza was previously convicted of manufacturing delivery of a controlled substance, a 1st degree felony, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, plus 10 years of probation.  In 2016, his probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.  The United States Marshals Service and the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force assisted in this arrest.

In Bexar County, Quincey Alexander Daniels was arrested on February 2 for violating the conditions of his parole by being indicted for the charge of a felon in possession of a firearm.  Daniels was previously convicted of burglary of a habitation, a 2nd degree felony and was sentenced to 10 years of probation.  In 2018, his probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to 8 years in prison.  He was also previously convicted of assault on a family member by choking/strangulation and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

In Bexar County, Benjamin Scott Polasek was arrested on February 2 for violating the conditions of his parole by using alcohol and marijuana, being released from sex offender treatment, and having contact with children in San Antonio.  Polasek was previously convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a 1st degree felony and was sentenced to 72 months on probation.  He was later placed on parole and sentenced to 6 years in prison.

In Brazoria County, Brandon Jamal Jones was arrested on February 1 on an outstanding warrant for possession of a controlled substance.  New charges for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute were issued at the time of his arrest.  The Gulf Coast Violent Offender Task Force assisted in this arrest.

In Brazoria County, John Louis Gutierrez was arrested on February 2 for failure to maintain mandated sex offender registration requirements and a corresponding failure to comply with sex offender duty to register for life/annually.  Gutierrez was previously convicted of indecency with a child through sexual contact and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

In Brazoria County, Barrion Demond Oliver was arrested on February 2 for failure to maintain mandated sex offender registration requirements and a corresponding failure to comply with sex offender duty to register for life/annually.  Oliver was previously charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child but pled down to indecency with a child through sexual contact and was sentenced to 4 years in prison.

In Comal County, Robert Ryan Aguirre was arrested on January 31 for violating the conditions of his parole by incurring GPS monitor violations.  Aguirre is on parole for multiple convictions.  Aguirre was previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance, a state jail felony, violating bond more than two times within 12 Months, a 3rd degree felony, and was convicted of assault of a family member with a previous conviction, a 3rd degree felony.

In Dallas County, Kolten Eugene Lindsey was arrested on February 2 for violating his parole by a monitor violation.  Lindsey is a convicted sex offender previously convicted of indecency with a child by exposure and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.  Lindsey is currently on parole for a 2010 conviction for tampering with physical evidence in Victoria County, for which he was given a 10-year suspended sentence.

In Dallas County, Michael Aaron Chisler was arrested on February 2 for violating his parole by absconding from a half-way house and on an outstanding warrant for failure to register as a sex offender.  Chisler was previously convicted of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

In Fort Bend County, Elijah Jean was arrested on February 2 for an outstanding warrant for homicide, tampering with physical evidence and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.  The Gulf Coast Violent Offender Task Force assisted with his apprehension.

In Harris County, Richard Reyes was arrested on January 28 for failure to maintain mandated sex offender registration requirements, and warrants were issued for failure to notify of a change of address with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles- sex offender docket and failure to report a residence change to another state- sex offender docket.  Reyes was previously convicted of lewd and lascivious battery, with a victim under 16 in Duval County (Florida) and was sentenced to 3 years’ probation. Reyes’ probation was later revoked and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.  The United States Marshals Service, Gulf Coast Violent Offender and Fugitive Task Force assisted in this apprehension.

In Harris County, Anthony Angelo Burrell was arrested on February 2 on multiple outstanding warrants for: compelling prostitution under 18 years of age, trafficking of a child, possession of a controlled substance, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.  The Gulf Coast Violent Offender Task Force assisted in this apprehension.

In Harris County, Travis Vossler was arrested on February 1 on an outstanding warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.  The Gulf Coast Violent Offender Task Force assisted in this arrest.

In Hopkins County, William Michael Miller was arrested on January 30 on warrants for indecent behavior with a minor, computer- aided solicitation of a minor, and a warrant for 7 counts of pornography involving a minor.  This arrest was made after a request for assistance was made by the Louisiana Office of Attorney General.  The Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force assisted in this arrest.

In Williamson County, Larry Ray Johnston was arrested on February 1 for violating the conditions of his parole by incurring monitor violations.  Johnston was previously convicted of burglary of a habitation with intent to violate or abuse the victim sexually and was sentenced to 75 years in prison.

In Van Zandt County, Christopher Steven Butler, a Peckerwood Gang member, was arrested on February 2 on an outstanding warrant for bond revocation and for the manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.  The Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force assisted in this apprehension.

In Van Zandt County, Desiree Teresse Rinehart was arrested on February 2 on an outstanding warrant for a bond violation for abandoning/endangering a child and criminal negligence.  The Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force assisted in this apprehension. 

Child Abuse, Child Sex Slavery, Good Parenting, Law Enforcement, Physical Abuse, StopChildAbuse

It Is All Around Us

.jpg photo of Human Trafficking graphic
Texas Attorney General’s office added a new unit dedicated to combating human trafficking.

UT study:  More than 313,000 victims of
labor, sex trafficking in Texas

There are likely more than 313,000 victims of labor and sex trafficking in Texas, and roughly a fourth of them are children and people under the age of 26 who have been forced into prostitution, based on estimates from a University of Texas study.

These estimates “remain a conservative understatement of the prevalence of human trafficking in Texas,” wrote the team of professors and others with UT’s Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the university’s School of Social Work who authored the report, published last month.  They also concluded that labor trafficking is a significant issue in Texas that “is woefully under-studied and perhaps ignored as a policy area.”

The study focused on people of all ages who work under involuntary servitude or debt bondage.

According to the study, an estimated 234,000 people of all ages work under involuntary servitude or debt bondage in Texas. Meanwhile, about 79,000 children and young adults are coerced or deceived into prostitution, the study found.

The authors said their study is so comprehensive that they hope it will serve as a point of reference for law enforcement as well as other government agencies as they seek to reduce human trafficking in the state.

Officials at a recent press conference with state Attorney General Ken Paxton said that Texas is a hub of human trafficking in the United States, and Houston specifically has the highest number of human trafficking victims in the country.

“Many think this is just international victims, but it’s not,” state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, said at the press conference earlier this month.  “It’s all our children, of every race and both genders.  It’s all around us.”

In Austin and throughout the state, sex trafficking is reported far more often than labor trafficking, according to the study and Austin police Sgt. Maria Calagna, who leads the Austin Police Department’s Human Trafficking and Vice Unit.

“It’s not that the labor trafficking cases don’t happen, it’s just that they don’t get reported as often,” Calagna said.

Calagna agreed with Huffman’s statement that the victims and perpetrators she deals with can be from Austin, from Texas or from another country.

“When you think about the terminology ‘human trafficking,’ it makes you think of movement from one place to another,” but that’s not always the case, she said.

According to the study, children and young adults who are homeless or in the foster care system have the highest risk of becoming involved in sex trafficking.

“We like to say we’re victim-centered,” Calagna said of her unit. “Everything we do is based on how we can help them and make sure they get the resources and the help that they need to get out of their situation.”

For people not familiar with these kinds of cases, it can be hard to understand why sex trafficking victims don’t just run away, Calagna said.

“There can be several different ways the suspects will, in a sense, trap the victims psychologically.  … Sometimes they’re promised a better life,” she said.

As for labor trafficking, the industries most likely to harbor these kinds of victims are cleaning services, construction, farm workers, restaurant kitchen workers, landscaping or grounds keeping workers and nail salon workers, the study said.