McLennan County prostitution sting nets nearly 50 arrests

Another successful prostitution sting has left McLennan County nationally ranked.

The McLennan County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday, it came in No. 6 for arrests in the U.S. in the 15th Johns Suppression Initiative.

“The pimps are our primary target, ‘til you get the pimps…you get all these creeps here,” said Sheriff Parnell McNamara.

As a result of the four-week undercover operation, 47 men were busted including Jared James, a teacher from the Rosebud-Lott ISD, who was charged with prostitution.

The superintendent said James, and his wife, were still employed pending further investigation.

"You figure people will get the hint, don't come here, but they continue to show up," said MCSO Human Trafficking Detective Joseph Scaramucci.

One of the men, Anthony Strong, remained at large on warrants for prostitution and evading arrest in a motor vehicle.

McNamara said their summer sting was slightly more active, leaving them ranked fifth in the U.S. with 71 arrests.

“Our goal is to have one of these stings and then we have a blank board, nobody's there because nobody showed up because everyone’s got the message,” said McNamara. “But it doesn't happen, they just keep on coming out.”

Undercover deputies said one man, Crescencio Resendez-Galicia, contacted them asking if they could arrange sex with an 11-year-old.

"He actually reached out to me and I gave him a certain age and he said he liked younger, I gave him another age and he said he liked younger than that," said Scaramucci.

He was charged on two counts of criminal conspiracy for trafficking of persons.

"It's not fair to the other creeps because he's much worse," said McNamara.

Willy Lopez, an officer with the Waco Police Department, was also caught and charged with prostitution.

He is currently on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

David Hawkins, who although is not a La Madeleine employee, is the construction superintendent employed by the contractor in charge of building the new French Café in Waco’s Central Texas Marketplace, was also charged with prostitution.

"They're basically a sexual assault victim 10-15 times a day, and these are the guys that are committing rape," said Scaramucci.

Scaramucci, who specializes in these types of crimes, said eight out of ten of the women he comes in contact with are forced, tricked, or coerced into having sex.

"Very, very, very, very few times are they willingly participating in that, so the notion that this is some consensual encounter between two adults is garbage, it's antiquated, its old, the mindset has to change within the community," said Scaramucci.

McNamara said he's given his team the green light to keep up the pressure.

"People say the jail's getting crowded, that's true, but we will stack these in there like card wood, you can count on it," said McNamara.

The rest of the men charged with prostitution are:

Jeffrey Cummings

Frank Jiminez

Paul Hall

Jarvis Langston

Douglas Arvey

Alan Jones

Christopher Clark

Adan Ramirez

Jose Zendajas

Efrain Covanabias

Timothy Ware

Elentero Villafranco

Timothy Calverley

Brian Cales

Sherwin Womack

Dante Slaughter

Jamie Martinez

Brad Wilson

Jose Castillo Rios

Leonard Joiner

George Foley

Jose Mancha III

James Greenman

Evans Fiattor

Zachary Hill

Charles Blanchard

Adedoyina Oke

Michael Simien

Brandon Penn

Jose Montelongo

Tim Bullins

Adron Brown

Adan Ceniceros

Louis Trejo

Mohammad Gazawi

Daniel Cota

David Caraballo

Mark Harless

Cory Bland

Carlos Lino

Jarred Hobbs

Albaro Lara