Three volunteer firefighters with the Howe Volunteer Fire Department in Grayson County were arrested on March 26 on multiple child sex abuse charges involving the same juvenile victim, authorities said.
Dalton McCaslin and David Perez-Glass were each charged with three counts of sexual assault of a child. Joshua Ryals faces two counts of indecency with a child involving sexual contact. All three were booked into the Grayson County Jail.
The victim told investigators the alleged abuse began in 2022 when she was a 16-year-old junior firefighter with the department and occurred about 30 times over roughly a year. She reported the allegations to Howe police in May 2025. Texas Rangers then took over the investigation.
Arrest affidavits allege that Perez-Glass forced the victim to have sex with him from January 2022 to January 2023 while they were alone at the fire station and in a self-storage facility in Van Alstyne.
He allegedly threatened to “rape her and do things to her parents” and said “he would kill her” if she told anyone. The victim said he ended the relationship when she turned 17, calling it a “legal age.”
He also kept a timer on his phone counting down to her 18th birthday along with other department members, according to the documents. Perez-Glass admitted knowing she was younger than 17 at the time.
McCaslin confessed to police that he had sex with the victim when she was 17 at his apartment in December 2022 and admitted receiving nude photographs of her on Snapchat.
Ryals admitted to inappropriately touching the victim while alone at the Howe fire station. During one encounter, he stopped and said, “You’re sixteen, what am I doing?”
All three men had worked at other fire departments across North Texas. Perez-Glass had been employed at the Irving Fire Department since 2023 and was placed on administrative leave. He was named Firefighter of the Year by the Howe department in 2022.
McCaslin worked at the Allen Fire Department for more than two years and was placed on administrative leave on March 25.
Ryals resigned from the Melissa Fire Department last week; he had recently been named Paramedic of the Year there on March 16.
The Howe Police Department released the following statement:
The City of Howe is aware of recent events related to Howe Volunteer Fire Department. The City of Howe and the Howe Police Department were made aware of serious allegations regarding inappropriate conduct involving Howe Volunteer Fire Department. No City employee was directly involved. These matters did not involve any patient.
Upon learning of the allegations, there was immediate attention and response. After initial investigation by the Howe Police Department, the Texas Rangers were contacted for assistance early so that any review of the issues would be by an independent source with highly skilled investigators. The City of Howe and Howe Police Department have cooperated with an ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers. The actions of the City of Howe and the Howe Police Department were intended to stop any improper action, preserve the integrity of the investigation and to respect the privacy of those coming forward.
This matter involves protected information, including an ongoing criminal investigation, privacy matters, and confidential information. To protect the privacy of all parties involved and to avoid any interference with the ongoing matters, the City and Howe Police Department cannot provide further details at this time. We are committed to keeping our community informed as appropriate while adhering to legal and ethical guidelines.