MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - 26 people, including a firefighter, middle school band director and a state prison guard, were arrested in Montgomery County for allegedly trying to meet underage boys and girls for sex.
They were arrested in an undercover online sting dubbed "Operation Safe Summer", a collaboration between the District Attorney's office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and several local law enforcement agencies to keep child predators out of Montgomery County.
"It is a problem that knows no socioeconomic barriers," said Brian Moskowitz, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "It is everywhere."
Officers in the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, arrested the men, who range in age from their 20's to early 70's, during an undercover online sting in April and May.
"I think everybody kind of has in their mind what a pedophile looks like, and it's some dirty guy with long shaggy hair and fingernails," said Brett Ligon, District Attorney for Montgomery County, standing in front of two boards showing the mug shots of the arrested men. "And if this board is not a cross section for what a true pedophile looks like, you're deceiving yourself."
The District Attorney says every single one of the men arrested did more than just communicate with who they thought was a minor.
"They've gotten in their vehicle, they've bought the duct tape, they've bought the condoms, they've tried to arrange a meeting place, and they've shown up at that meeting place only to be disappointed to find the face of (the law enforcement officers) and not the 12 or 13-year-old they thought they were gonna have sex with."
Investigators say they also found child porn on some of the suspects' hard drives.
"Parents, you need to take an opportunity to learn what is Grindr, what is Tinder, what is Vine, what is Instagram, because these are the devices that are being used for the pornography," said Ligon.
Authorities say that firefighter worked with the Houston Fire Department and volunteered with Magnolia's fire department, and that he's been fired from both jobs. They also tell us the band director worked at Truett Middle School in Cy-Fair ISD and has been suspended.
