HOUSTON – Fifteen men have been arrested in Victoria after a prostitution sting. One of the men was a former coach with the Columbus School District before resigning in March.
The Victoria Police Department's special crimes unit used an undercover operation on backpage.com, a website commonly used for classifieds that include adult escort services.
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An undercover officer posted advertisements between Sept. 3-4
"These arrests underscore our department's commitment in addressing crimes related to the sex trafficking industry," Victoria police chief JJ Craig said. "These types of crime influence other types of crimes and negatively impact the quality of life to our residents."
Those arrested included:
- Charles Clifford Anderson, 53, of Corpus Christi
- Michael Bouthillette, 72, of Victoria
- James Thomas Burns, 39, of Victoria,
- Kirk Collier, 44, of Columbus. Collier was formerly a coach with the Columbus Independent School district.
- Hank Alan Cranek, 33, of Louise
- Steven Lawrence, 36, of Victoria
- Nick Martin, 35, of Santa Fe
- Adrian Mendez, 20, of Port Lavaca
- William Russell Moody, 55, of Victoria
- Ronald Jess Mudd, 33, of Victoria
- Josue V. Pacheco, 34, of Grand Prairie
- Robert Donald Ruther, 29, of San Antonio
- Duane William Sullivan, 44, of Victoria
- Garret Tupa, 18, of Victoria, Texas
- Steven Wayne Wilkes, 45, of Tifton, Ga.
The Victoria Police Department says it will conduct similar stings in the future, but do not know when.