73°
72º | 89°
Montgomery County authorities conducted an undercover prostitution sting on Wednesday that netted 14 arrests, including that of the chief deputy for the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office, Houston-based media outlets reported.
Chief Deputy Brian Harris and 13 other individuals were arrested by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office’s (MCSO) organized crime unit at a local hotel and Constable Ted Heap said Harris has been relieved of duty, according to Houston CBS affiliate KHOU.
“We hold our deputies to the highest standard,” Heap said, the station reported. “His termination is effective immediately.”
KHOU reported that Harris faces a felony solicitation of prostitution charge and is detained at the Montgomery County Jail.
The MCSO said in a statement that it condemns prostitution in the community, according to KHOU.
“We are sending a message that we are not going to tolerate this activity in our community,” the law enforcement agency said. “We will arrest and charge those who engage in this illicit act. We will also continue to identify those who have been forced into trafficking by rescuing them from their situations and connecting them with services to help with their recovery.”
Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported that the MCSO executed the operation with the assistance of Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).
Per the station, Harris has a LinkedIn profile that says he has over 26 years of law enforcement experience, including a stint as a homicide detective for the Houston Police Department (HPD).
According to the website HG.org, up to 80,000 people in the U.S. are arrested for prostitution annually, which costs taxpayers nearly $200 million.
Women account for 70% of those arrests, the website said.
Texas lawmakers approved legislation classifying all forms of prostitution, including soliciting a prostitute, a state jail felony that went into law on Sept. 1, 2021.