A Houston firefighter of more than two decades was arrested over the weekend on a child grooming charge out of Austin County, according to court records and the Houston Fire Department.
Firefighter Jason Gaines was arrested on Saturday at Station 90 in the Addicks area, Senior Captain Raul Reyes told the Chronicle. The circumstances surrounding the charges were not immediately clear, but Reyes said he was suspended pending the outcome of an investigation.
Austin County court records show a felony indictment was filed against Gaines last Wednesday. No attorney was listed for Gaines as of Tuesday morning. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16.
Child grooming is a crime that involves an attempt to “induce, entice or coerce” a minor into sexual activity. The full terms of the offense are outlined in Chapter 15 of the Texas Penal Code.
Barring prior convictions, child grooming is a third-degree felony, which carries 2 to 10 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines, according to the Penal Code. A Texas law that went into effect last year requires anyone convicted of child grooming to register as a sex offender in Texas, closing a loophole in the state system.
This is a developing story.