The Fort Worth Police Department led an effort to catch online predators in a multi-agency operation dubbed Operation St. Nick.
Undercover officers posed as teenage girls in an effort to catch men trying to solicit them for sex.
"The focus of the investigation was to establish communication with potential targets who were actively seeking to engage in sexual conduct with children under the age of 17 years old," says Fort Worth Officer Jimmy Pollozani.
The operation netted ten arrests between Dec. 20 and 22.
Fort Worth Police arrested the following suspects:
Jerry Zucker, 51, Azle (a registered sex offender)
Brent Cutler, 35, Sherman
Peyton Hanshew, 30, Hico
Mark Millsap, 58, Burleson
Andrea Williams, 50, Dallas
Seth Marin, 23, Fort Worth
North Richland Hills Police arrested two suspects:
James Austin Byrd, 42, Bastrop
Michael Jordan, 39, Frisco
The Irving Police Department arrested Salik Sandal, 39, of Garland; and the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office arrested Deon Young, 30, of Irving.
All are accused of soliciting who they thought was a girl either 15 or 16 years old for sex.
Cutler was found with more than 50 child porn files on his cell phone, so he's also charged with possession of child pornography.
Marin is also accused of sexually assaulting a real 14-year-old victim; that case is being investigated by Dallas Police.
North Richland Hills Police say Jordan brought seven grams of methamphetamine and a realistic-looking fake gun with him, so he's also charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.
At the time of his arrest, Byrd was a history teacher and girls' basketball coach at Cedar Creek High School in Bastrop.
Byrd had been at the school since the start of the 2019-20 academic year.
The school district placed him on administrative leave when it learned of his arrest, and Byrd tendered his resignation that same day.
"Although the criminal investigation does not involve BISD or any of our students and rests with officials in Tarrant County, Bastrop ISD will cooperate fully with law enforcement as needed," the school district said in a statement.
The Bastrop ISD also reported Byrd to the State Board for Educator Certification.
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