MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas — A team in Montgomery County working to try to catch child predators got an upgrade, which has helped them triple the number of arrests they’ve made so far this year.
Law enforcement says most of the activity is happening online.
"If it has internet and has applications on it. It’s the worst thing that could have happened to our kids," said Capt. Adam Acosta with the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable's Office.
Acosta runs the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force in Precinct 3 and sees every day the harm that is done online to children.
"We want to protect kids in our community," said Acosta.
At the end of last year, his ICAC team was given an upgrade. They were awarded additional funding to hire three people, giving them a total of six investigators.
It might not seem like much, but if you look at the numbers, cases have tripled since January of this year. They went from 34 felony arrests in 2023 to 113.
Here is a breakdown of the numbers:
In 2023:
- Felony Charges Filed - 34
- Search warrant - 24
- Operations conducted - 12
- Electronic devices forensically processed – 44
In 2024, so far:
- Felony Charges Filed - 113
- Search Warrants - 114
- Operations conducted - 25
- Electronic Devices forensically processed - 216.
"We arrest all walks of life, first responders, public officials, lawyers, doctors, military members, your average employees anywhere, teachers, coaches," said Acosta.
This small but effective team has been able to get some criminals off the streets.
Like Christopher Mason, who's now serving time. Investigators said he was sharing thousands of child porn images into The Woodlands.
"He was within the top 10 in Texas with having the most images," said Acosta.
This team of investigators works closely with the district attorney’s office in Montgomery County.
"We focus on the children those we have saved. Or those going to be saved in the future because they’re going to be behind bars," said Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Francis Manzo.
As the county continues to grow and technology evolves, the teams are trying to keep up.
"We understand there is more of them than there are of us but we won't stop if we get our sights on you. We know you are doing it. You will get a knock on your door," said Acosta.
Still, they're asking parents for help. Every time your kids are connecting with someone online make sure they know that the person behind the screen might not have the best intentions.
"Be nosy. Stay involved in every aspect of their lives," said Acosta.
This team works very closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and also works with HPD and other, state and federal agencies.
If you have a question about how an application on your child's cell phone works or are concerned, the ICAC team asks parents to visit them. They are willing to help parents navigate the ever-changing apps.