John Bogna
Recently, an area 10-day prostitution sting operation known as ‘H Star’ netted 139 arrests, and a Houston police officer is reportedly among the accused.
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After being apprehended, records show the officer posted a $500 dollar bond and is currently on paid administrative leave until the investigation into his charges is completed.
HPD, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and Children at Risk, and organization dedicated to helping the victims of sex crimes, reportedly all worked together to conduct the sting.
Authorities said they ran their operation form October 2 to October 13 at Seven Star Spa, a business, which, according to clicktohouston.com, is known for its connection to illicit activity.
“We do not know how long Seven Star Spa operated out of this location, but we do know Vice had operation arrests stemming back to 2007,” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said in a statement.
During the sting, an undercover officer would take people visiting the spa looking to buy sex to a private room, where they would get them to agree to pay for sexual acts, according to an investigator who worked on the operation.
“Sadly, I want you all to know, that a member of the Houston Police Department was caught up in this sting,” Chief Acevedo said during the announcement on the sting’s results.
He continued to speak on the officer:
“And let me just say this, that person was immediately put on restricted duty, that person is not part of our internal affairs investigations and I’m pretty confident that the person’s future with the police department is not looking very promising.”
The officer arrested issued a statement expressing remorse, as well:
“What I did was wrong. It was a mistake, and I regret it. I will be punished, and I should be punished. I will plead guilty. …I should not have done it.”
The officer is currently not being named due to his undercover status; identifying him could present a danger to his family, according to click2houston.com.
