TYLER, Texas (KETK) – Six East Texas men were indicted in Smith County last month for soliciting someone under 18.
The men had all been arrested in January as part of an undercover sting, where according to their affidavits, the men messaged who they thought was a 17-year-old named “Sarah” but was in reality a sergeant with the Office of the Attorney General conducting an online investigation.
The following men were all indicted for soliciting someone under 18:
- Jose Hernandez, 38 of Tyler
- Matthew Organ, 44 of Whitehouse
- Also indicted for tampering with evidence
- James Amos, 55 of Flint
- Delano Phelps, 90 of Tyler
- Charles McLarty, 76 of Flint
- Lobo Monterrey, 48 of Jacksonville
The men had messaged the investigator posing as an underage girl on a website “for offenders soliciting minors for commercial sexual acts in exchange for payment in Tyler,” according to their affidavits.
They had messaged “Sarah” asking for sexual services from who they thought was a minor, and agreed to meet “Sarah” at a specified location. However, when the men arrived, their affidavits said they were arrested by authorities.
After their arrests, all six of the men were booked into the Smith County Jail, and later released. They were indicted on Aug. 24 for the second-degree felony soliciting someone under 18 charge.
