A federal jury convicted Ervin Joe Campbell, the former city manager of Anson, Texas, of attempting to entice a minor for sex following a joint law enforcement undercover operation.
The jury found Campbell, 64, guilty on one count of attempted enticement of a minor after a one-day trial. Jurors deliberated for about 30 minutes before returning the verdict, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said the case highlighted the reach of such operations.
“This defendant elected to go to trial, which is his constitutional right. But we were ready, and the jury convicted him of attempted enticement of a minor after only 30 minutes of deliberation,” Raybould said. “The unfortunate and sad reality is that predators lurk in every facet of life, including those in positions of trust, like this defendant.”
Evidence at trial showed that multiple federal, state, and local agencies collaborated on an undercover effort in Abilene aimed at child predators and prostitution solicitation. A sergeant from the Texas Attorney General’s Office posed online as 15- and 16-year-old girls in response to a Facebook Marketplace advertisement titled “Massage and Fun.”
Campbell responded to the ad and arranged to meet the girls for sex, even after learning their stated ages, prosecutors said. Cell phone geolocation data and call records confirmed he drove about 30 minutes from his home in Anson to a hotel in Abilene, where the meeting was set. He arrived carrying two condoms and more than $500 in cash — the amount he had agreed to pay, according to testimony.
Investigators also found that Campbell had saved the undercover contact in his phone as “15.”
“Protecting children from sexual predators is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Travis Pickard, special agent in charge of HSI Dallas. “This conviction demonstrates the commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who seek to exploit minors and to ensure they are held accountable.”
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division in Abilene, the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Abilene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney James and Allyson Monte handled the prosecution.
Campbell is scheduled for sentencing on September 17, 2026, before U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and up to life in prison, along with a possible fine of $250,000.
