On-Line Sting Lands 5 In Jail

Five people are cooling their heels behind bars after a multijurisdictional operation targeting online solicitation of minors on December 10th and 11th.

The five are all Amarillo residents and were arrested for soliciting sex online of a minor

Texas Department of Public Safety Special Agents, the Amarillo Police Department, Hutchinson County, and Carson County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Randall County District Attorney’s Office conducted the operation.

Law enforcement arrested the suspects after they arrived at an undisclosed location after soliciting sex online with investigators posing as minors.

Undercover officers arrested the following people:

25-year-old Tristan Broyles, of Amarillo

61-year-old Charles Cogswell, of Amarillo

21-year-old Nicolas Vaughn, of Amarillo

44-year-old Alejandro Desantiago, of Amarillo

32-year-old Eduardo Montes, of Amarillo.

All of the suspects were booked into the Randall County Jail.

Solicitation of a minor – sexual conduct involves a defendant asking or engaging in a conversation with a minor where the defendant asks (or solicits) the minor to meet them to engage in a sexual act.

Under Texas Penal Code Section 33.021 online solicitation of a minor is a second-degree felony.

Second-degree felonies are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.