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Police: Child Predator Arrested

Pictures Provide Important Evidence

POSTED: 2:38 p.m. CDT April 17, 2002
UPDATED: 5:14 p.m. CDT April 17, 2002

Houston police arrested and charged a man who allegedly sexually assaulted children. Now officers hope more victims will come forward.

Earnest Heileman

Earnest Heileman, 43, was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child and possession of child pornography.

Officers said Heileman sexually assaulted a girl, 4, and then took nude photographs of her in a shed on his property. The girl's mother is a friend of Heileman's wife, and she was visiting them with her daughter when the assault occurred, according to authorities.

When officers arrested Heileman, they found more than 60 sexually explicit photographs of boys ranging in age from 2 to 17 years old.

Heileman has posed as a church youth minister, karate instructor and scoutmaster as a way to lure children, officers said. He also offered to hire children to work around his home.

Officers have not yet identified all of the children in the photographs. Police believe there are more victims and hope they will come forward so additional charges can be filed.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Houston Police Department at (713) 986-3381.

Tips To Protect Children From Predators

It happens all too often: a dangerous stranger approaches a child. Would your child know what to do?

Law enforcement officers hope to prevent child abductions by providing some important tips.

A kidnapper might lure a child by using the following lines.
  • Help me find my lost dog/cat/rabbit.
  • Your mom said to pick you up and take you for pizza.
  • I have some money you can have.
  • Your mom is sick. I am going to take you to the hospital to see her.

Parents are urged to do the following.
  • Create a secret password that must be used to get your child to go with another person. Practice it often.
  • Teach your child to call 911 from a pay phone, and leave it off the hook so the operator can verify the location.
  • Show your child how to set off a car alarm or fire alarm to draw attention to the situation.
  • Teach children how to talk to strangers so they can seek help in a scary situation.
  • Child should never tell a caller that no one is at home. Instead, he or she should say that parents can't come to the phone.
  • Child should never open the door to anyone except people they and their parents have agreed on.
  • Child should avoid going into public restrooms alone.
  • Child should know how to lock and unlock different types of car and truck doors, as well as home doors and windows.

Research shows that children, especially young ones, have a difficult time remembering information, and an even tougher time applying it to different situations. So parents need to continually reinforce safety methods.

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