HOUSTON — An ex-pro ballplayer. A security guard. A 75-year-old man.
These are just some of the suspects nabbed in a sex sting after trying to meet up with underage girls for sex, according to the Precinct 1 Constable’s Office.
Instead, they were chatting online with undercover officers.
When they showed up at the meeting place, deputies were waiting for them.
The suspects include Michael Schurtz, 32, a former minor league baseball player who was drafted by the Astros in 2009. He is currently a baseball instructor.
Rylan Barnett, 19, thought he was meeting a 9 year old, according to Precinct 4. He’s a college student majoring in criminal justice.
Investigators say 75-year-old Williard Billards, who uses a scooter to get around, took the bus when he tried to meet with what he thought would be a 15-year-old girl.
"He actually fell out of his scooter trying to get there," Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said.
Kelvin Mcleod is a 26-year-old security guard.
The other suspects are: Shayan Sadeghbegi, 22; Kevin Patrick Spiars, 55; 35-year-old Luis Angel Flores; 50-year-old Ramiro Dorado; and 46-year-old Eduardo Salazar.
All nine suspects are charged with online solicitation of a minor.
Mcleod is also charged with assault on a police officer and attempting to take a police officer's gun.
Rosen reminds parents that child predators are all around us.
“It doesn’t matter the employment situation, the socio-economic, the education, there’s just some really sick people out there that target these kind of children," Rosen said. “You’ve got to start a dialogue with your kids about the dangers of this.”
Check back for more on this developing story.
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