A Texarkana police officer was recently arrested during an underage prostitution sting.
The Texarkana Texas Police Department issued a statement indicating officers in the Special Investigations Unit had arrested three men who responded to an ad on a website known for prostitution. The men — 33-year-old Adarius Willis, 37-year-old James Willis, and 31-year-old Tevin Wilson — allegedly willfully pursued sexual contact with someone who informed them she was underage.
Wilson was a police officer with the Texarkana, Arkansas, Police Department, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Texarkana is a dual municipality that straddles the state line between Texas and Arkansas, and each city maintains its own police force.
“Even though the ‘girl’ told each of the men she talked to that she was underage, each of the three suspects still wanted to come to meet up with her and offered to pay her for sex,” the Texarkana Texas Police Department alleged in a statement. “When the guys showed up and knocked, they were shocked when several police officers answered the door instead of the young girl they were expecting.”
All three men were charged with Online Solicitation of a Minor, and Adarius Willis was additionally charged with Delivery of Marijuana. James Willis was also charged with Resisting and Evading Arrest, Delivery and Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Abandoning/Endangering a Child with Intent to Return.
Wilson’s bail was set to $100,000, Adarius Willis’ bail was $85,000, and bail for James Willis has yet to be determined.
Wilson had worked with the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department since 2016. In a Facebook post, he said he became an officer because he wanted to make a difference in the community.
“I like that I stand in the gap and be the one that our young people can come and talk to,” he wrote.
Wilson was terminated from his job when his employer learned of the arrest.
Closer to home, Dallas is also disturbed by reports of sex crimes, though specific figures for many offenses are currently unreliable. Still, the August 5 crime briefing from the Dallas Police Department indicates that 433 instances of violent sexual offenses have been reported year to date in 2023.
But as the department attempts to investigate and combat such crimes, it is hamstrung by a staffing shortage. According to a City analysis, Dallas is short about 900 police officers and needs roughly 4,000 for a city of its size.
Dallas sees far more crime than Fort Worth’s downtown area, which reportedly maintains a dedicated police unit working alongside private security.