HOUSTON – A 23-year veteran Houston police sergeant accused of sexually assaulting a child has posted a $260,000 bond.
Tung Tran, 50, was in court for arraignment Thursday. The hearing will be reset for two weeks so that Tran has time to hire an attorney.
The sergeant for the Houston Police Department is facing two counts of aggravated assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child.
“Child abuse cases in general. Generally they are people that know the victims and the victims family and they gain the trust or that family and they violate it that trust especially the trust of a child,” Janna Oswald with the district attorney’s office said.
Court documents allege that Tran is accused of sexually assaulting a teen girl during Christmas break in 2020, physically molesting her during Spring Break. They allege Tran bought the teen clothing and asked her to try it on for him. Court documents also allege Tran was a friend of the victim’s family and had gained their trust. He was asked to drive the teen to the family’s businesses during those holiday breaks.
Oswald responded to the seriousness of the allegations.
“This is especially egregious here because of his position here in this community as a Houston Police Department officer,” Oswald said. “The family and child were aware of that and that kind of power differential prevents a child from feeling they can outcry when its already a difficult thing to outcry to, sexual abuse in general. When you have that power differential, it especially aggravates that process.”
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner issued a statement saying in part, “I am deeply troubled by the alleged actions of this 23-year veteran HPD employee who was immediately relieved of duty when the accusations were brought to our attention.”
According to the Houston Police Department, Tran has been relieved of duty with pay, pending the outcome of this investigation.
The judge was very clear that he is to adhere to those bond conditions, one of which will be to wear a GPS monitor and he will be under house arrest.