KILLEEN, Texas — A one-day sex trafficking operation in Bell County resulted in 10 arrests, the sheriff’s department said.
Among those arrested was an educator with the Waco Independent School District, an active duty soldier stationed at Fort. Hood and another on leave from Alaska, six retired military persons and a United States Postal worker from Copperas Cove.
Waco ISD said Tony Shelton, who was a tutor at G.W. Carver Middle School since January, was fired following his arrest.
Waco ISD Assistant Superintendent of Communications and Community Engagement Kyle DeBeer
issued the following statement:
“As a district, we hold all of our employees to a high moral standard. When we learned of Mr.
Shelton’s arrest, he was immediately terminated and is no longer a Waco ISD employee.”
Investigators said most of the men arrested in the sting were married and many are repeat offenders.
Officials posted ads on social media sites known to attract those willing to pay for sex. The ads offered female prostitutes and transsexuals, investigators said. Deputies waited for potential customers to make contact, and through text exchanges agreed to meet in person for paid sex, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies arrested the 10 men within seven hours, according to the sheriff’s office. One of the men showed up with a gun in his vehicle but had no money. Another man requested “full service” for $100 and arrived with five fake $20 bills, investigators said.
The busts were part of the John Suppression Initiative Operation in the Killeen area in an effort to crack down on sex trafficking, the sheriff’s department said.
“As sheriff, my goal is to focus our efforts on sex buyers who are seeking to take advantage of sex trafficking victims,” Sheriff Eddy Lange said. “We are putting these predators on notice, our Bell County community will not tolerate this behavior.