A Harris County assistant police chief was arrested Wednesday in an undercover prostitution sting, according to a Montgomery County sheriff’s office (MCSO) press release.
Chief Deputy Brian Harris of the Precinct 5 constable’s office was arrested on September 21 at around 8:00 p.m. along with 13 other individuals.
Charged with Solicitation of Prostitution, a state felony, Harris is being held in the Montgomery County jail.
The Montgomery County sheriff’s office organized crime unit worked with the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) to conduct an undercover sting operation at a local hotel, resulting in the arrest.
The HTRA is a multi-agency task force consisting of federal, state, and local law enforcement from the Montgomery region. Its mission is to rescue victims of human trafficking and stop people from engaging in activities that promote human trafficking and prostitution.
Since 2004, the HTRA has assisted more than 650 victims and trained nearly 5,500 federal, state and local law enforcement, and other non-governmental organizations on human trafficking issues.
The MCSO said, “We are sending a message that we are not going to tolerate this activity in our community.”
“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.”
A 26-year law enforcement veteran, Harris was a homicide detective for the Houston Police Department before retiring from that entity, as a Harris County news outlet reported.
Precinct 5 released the following statement:
“Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap was notified Wednesday night that a Precinct 5 assistant chief was arrested on charges of solicitation of prostitution in Montgomery County. Chief Brian Harris has been relieved of duty.
‘We hold our deputies to the highest standard,’ said Constable Heap. ‘His termination is effective immediately.'”
