The Dallas Morning News reported that a Tarrant County man used his job running a church’s sound system to try to solicit a sex act from a girl, authorities allege. Kenneth Tyler Hostin, 33, of Haslet was arrested Thursday on a felony count of criminal solicitation of a minor and was released from the Tarrant County jail on a $25,000 bond the following day. It was unclear whether he had an attorney.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the girl reported the abuse in July. She said Hostin, who worked for a company that was contracted to handle the sound system at Compass Church, made inappropriate comments to her, urged her to take naked photographs of herself and, after asking her to play truth or dare with him, dared her to perform a sex act.
KTVT-TV reported that a Denton man was indicted on federal sex crimes charges.
Chad Allan Titus was named in an indictment on July 14 charging him with failure to register as a sex offender. He pleaded not guilty and appeared in federal court on August 12.
According to court documents, Titus was convicted of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse in Iowa in 2011. As a result of that conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender.
In 2020, Titus came to North Texas from Iowa and registered as a sex offender. The now 35-year-old ultimately left the state and deregistered, but ultimately returned. After setting up a house at an apartment in Denton, Titus failed to deregister in Iowa or register in Texas as required.
Members of the U.S. Marshals Service and the North Texas Fugitive Task Force became aware of Titus’ presence in Texas after someone reported that he had exposed himself in the parking lot of a Denton business.
Titus is being held until trial. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Morning News also reported that an Irving man who tried to meet a young girl for sex has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
A jury convicted Cody Ryan Turner, 37, of a federal charge of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in March. He was sentenced Monday by a judge in Plano.
According to authorities, Turner began sending messages to a person he thought was a teenager on a social media application in August 2019 and, without getting any response, sent a graphic image several months later.
In June 2020, he asked to be the child’s sugar daddy and sent explicit messages after the person who was posing as the teenager responded.
In September, Turner drove to a Plano home to meet the girl after saying “you are very young so there is a big risk for me,” authorities said. He was arrested by Plano police and FBI agents when he arrived.
Turner told officials that he knew the person he had been messaging was fake and that he had driven there as a “gotcha,” authorities said.
KXAS-TV reported that the Parker County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a 35-year-old man suspected of child sexual assault.
After a young girl reported repeated sexual abuse, investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Timothy Richard Cisar, 35 for a first-degree felony charge of continuous sexual abuse of a young child.
According to investigators, the victim told a family member Cisar had sexually abused her on numerous occasions over the past two years.
The family member went to law enforcement immediately, authorities said, and after an investigation, the arrest warrant was obtained for Cisar.
But the 35-year-old man fled Texas after the report was made.
Now, authorities believe Cisar may have recently returned to Parker County.
The sheriff’s office warned the public not to approach Cisar if he is located and to call law enforcement.
Fighting Sex Crimes Offenses in Dallas, Texas
Sex offenses in Dallas come in many forms. Failure to register as a sex offender can be a state jail felony when a person was required to register once a year for (ten) 10 years; third-degree felony when a person was required to register once a year for life; or second-degree felony when a person was required to register every 90 days for life.
An individual can be charged with sexual assault under Tex. Penal Code § 220.011 if they intentionally or knowingly commit any of the following acts:
- Cause a child’s anus to contact the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person;
- Cause a child’s mouth to be penetrated by the sexual organ of the alleged offender;
- Cause a child’s mouth to contact the anus or sexual organ of another person;
- Cause a child’s sexual organ to contact or penetrate the mouth, anus or sexual organ of another person;
- Cause the sexual organ of another person to contact or penetrate the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, without that person’s permission or consent;
- Penetrate the anus or sex organ of another person by any means, without the other person’s consent; or
- Penetrate the mouth of another person with the sexual organ of the alleged offender, without the other person’s consent.
Sexual assault offenses are usually punishable as a felony of the second degree, which can result in a prison sentence ranging from two to 20 years and/or a fine not exceeding $10,000.
Sexual assault can instead result in a felony of the first degree if the alleged offender was prohibited from marrying the victim of the assault offense. This degree of offense can result in a prison sentence ranging from five to 99 years or life imprisonment and/or a fine up to $10,000.
Additionally, according to Chapter 62 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, anyone who has been convicted of a sexual assault offense is required to register as a sex offender for life with their local law enforcement authority.
An individual can be charged with aggravated sexual assault under Tex. Penal Code § 22.021, if they commit a sexual assault offense and:
- Cause serious bodily injury or attempt to cause the death of the victim during the sexual assault;
- Is an accomplice to anyone committing a sexual assault offense;
- The victim is disabled or elderly;
- The victim is younger than 14;
- Threaten to cause death, serious bodily injury or kidnap any person, including the victim;
- Uses a deadly weapon during the commission of the sexual assault;
- Uses certain intoxicants or controlled substances, including gamma-hydroxybutyrate, roofies, the Date Rape drug, GHB, Rohypnol, flunitrazepam, Special K, or ketamine during the commission of the offense; and/or
- Verbally or through actions causes the victim to be fearful death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping will occur.
An individual commits a sexual assault for the purpose of aggravated sexual assault if they intentionally or knowingly and non-consensually penetrate the anus or sex organ of another person by any means; penetrate the mouth of another person with a sex organ; cause contact or penetration of the sex organ of another person with the mouth, anus or sex organ; penetrate a child’s mouth with a sex organ, cause a child’s sex organ to contact or penetrate another person’s mouth, anus or sex organ; cause a child’s mouth to contact the sex organ or anus of another person; and/or cause a child’s anus to contact the mouth, anus or sex organ of another person.
A child for the purpose of sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault is anyone under the age of 17.
Aggravated sexual assault offenses are generally punishable as a felony of the first degree. This degree of offense can result in five to 99 years in prison or life imprisonment and/or a fine up to $10,000.
However, if the victim was under the age of six at the time of the offense, the alleged offender must face a minimum term of imprisonment for 25 years instead of five years.
Additionally, if the victim was under the age of 14 at the time of the offense and the alleged offender:
- Used a weapon during the commission of the offense,
- Used any of the intoxicants or controlled substances listed above, or
- Caused, attempted or threatened to cause death or serious bodily injury to the victim,
The alleged offender must face a minimum term of imprisonment of 25 years instead of five years.
Anyone convicted of an aggravated sexual offense is also required, under Chapter 62 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, to register as a sex offender for life with their local law enforcement authority.
According to section 33.021 of the Texas Penal Code, an individual who is at least 17 years old can be charged with online solicitation of a minor if he or she intentionally distributes material to a minor that is sexually explicit or communicates in a way that is sexually explicit to a minor.
If an individual uses the internet to solicit a minor to engage in sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse, he or she can be charged with online solicitation of a minor.
This includes solicitation, the distribution of materials, or sexually explicit communication that takes place online, in a text message, through email, or any other form of electronic means.
In most cases, the online situation of a minor is considered a third-degree felony, which is punishable by between two and 10 years in prison, and/or up to a $10,000 fine. Additionally, if an individual is accused of soliciting a minor online who is or was believed to be under the age of 14, he or she can be charged with a second-degree felony, which carries a prison sentence of between two and 20 years, and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
Find a Dallas Sex Crimes Lawyer | Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy
If you were recently arrested for any kind of alleged sexual offense in Dallas or a surrounding area, you will want to be quick to get yourself legal representation. Make sure that you take the time to speak to The Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy about your legal options.
Our firm can conduct an independent investigation into your arrest and work to possibly get your criminal charges reduced or dismissed. We will be able to sit down with you and go over your case in greater detail when you call (972) 233-5700 or contact us online to take advantage of a free consultation.
