Crime & Safety
Ex-Astros Prospect, 75-Year-Old Man, Caught In Online Sex Sting
Nine men who thought they were meeting a young girl for sex, were met by cops instead as part of a sting targeting online predators.
HOUSTON — Nine men who thought they were meeting an underage girl for sex, were arrested as part of a sting aimed at online child predators, according to Harris County Pct. 1 Constable Alan Rosen's Office.
The online stings were conducted in February and March, with Harris County Pct 1 constables working with the joint Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
The men, it seemed, were intent on being there at any cost. One of the men, identified as 75-year-old Williard Billings, took the bus and rode his scooter on March 20 to meet up with the so-called underage girl, whom he thought was just 15-years-old, according to a press releases from Rosen's office.
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“This paints a clear picture that child predators will travel any distance and by any means to reach a child who they have targeted as their prey,” Rosen said.
Billings, a U.S. Navy veteran, allegedly admitted to investigators that his phone contained child pornography.
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The other eight men were arrested during a separate sting operation in late February, Rosen said.
One of those men, identified as 46-year-old Eduardo Salazar, drove all the way from San Antonio for his rendezvous, only to get arrested instead.
Kelvin Mcleod, 26, who works as a security guard, was also charged with assaulting a peace officer and trying to take a weapon from the officer. He was released on bonds totaling $90,000.
Michael Schurz, 32, a former minor league baseball player drafted by the Houston Astros in 2009, had a $10,000 bond for online solicitation, but was also possessing narcotics when he was caught, Rosen said.
Rylan Garnett, 19, a college student majoring in criminal justice, was there to meet up with a 9-year-old girl for sex, officials said.
Other agencies that aided in the sting operation included: the Houston Police Department, Harris County Constable Precinct Five, Katy ISD Police Department, Humble Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, The Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the Fort Bend District Attorney’s Office, the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and Cypress Creek Tactical EMS.
Each of the men face a possible sentence ranging from probation, to 2-20 years in prison.
All the men are free on bond, and are expected to appear in court in the near future.
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