State Criminal Investigations Unit Arrests Texas Man For Production Of Child Pornography

Staff Report

Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton is the lawyer for the State of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to:

• defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas
• represent the State in litigation
• approve public bond issues

To fulfill these responsibilities, the Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government, issues legal opinions when requested by the Governor, heads of state agencies and other officials and agencies as provided by Texas statutes.

The Texas AG sits as an ex-officio member of state committees and commissions, and defends challenges to state laws and suits against both state agencies and individual employees of the State.

Many Texans look to the Office of the Attorney General for guidance with disputes and legal issues. The agency receives hundreds of letters, phone calls and visits each week about crime victims’ compensation, child support, abuse in nursing homes, possible consumer fraud and other topics. To find out more about the Texas Attorney General, visit the official website at https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/.

WEEKLY NEWS ROUND-UP OF THE STATE’S

TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER…

THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL

AG Paxton’s Criminal Investigations Unit Makes First Sextortion Arrest

AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton recently commended investigators from the Sextortion Unit in the Criminal Investigations Unit of his office for the arrest of Felipe Jesus Duron, 21, of Atascosa on federal charges of Production of Child Pornography, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.

On October 15, 2019, the Sextortion Unit, with the assistance of the attorney general’s Child Exploitation Unit and FBI San Antonio Child Exploitation Task Force, arrested Duron after a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline report revealed a 14-year-old female being coerced to send nude images to Duron via a social media account.

The investigation revealed that Duron requested and received nude images of the underage victim then threatened public exposure of these images if additional nude images were not sent.

Duron also used this tactic to force the young victim into online sexual acts with other males while he recorded the activities.

This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas.

“Dangerous predators can infiltrate any home through computers, tablets, or phones. Unfortunately, criminals lurking online often target our most vulnerable citizens and seek to exploit children,” said Attorney General Paxton. “I am grateful for the work of our Sextortion Unit and the dedicated law enforcement officials they work with to bring criminals like this to justice.”

Attorney General Paxton’s office works to protect children by using the latest technology to track down some of the most profoundly evil predators online.

This case marks the first arrest by a state grant-funded investigation position in the Texas Attorney General’s Office that focuses on sexual coercion.

Attorney General Paxton urges all parents and teachers to become aware of the risks children face on the internet and take steps to help ensure their safety. If you suspect someone is producing or downloading child pornography, you can report it to NCMEC.

For more information on cyber safety, please visit: https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/initiatives/cyber-safety/.

AG Paxton Joins Multistate Effort to Preserve State Sovereignty

AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined six other States, led by Ohio, in supporting the federal government’s decision to deny California the authority to set greenhouse-gas and zero-emissions-vehicles standards that effectively apply nationwide.

The Clean Air Act generally prohibits States and political subdivisions from enforcing “any standard relating to the control of emissions from new motor vehicles.” For years, California has received waivers from the federal government that allow it to set its own emission standards. The effect of the waivers is that if a car manufacturer wants to sell cars in California, it must build the vehicle to California-standards, regardless of where that vehicle ultimately goes on sale.

“The Clean Air Act was designed to foster cooperation between States and the federal government as we take steps to ensure our communities breathe clean, healthy air. No single State has the authority to create standards and regulations for other States, and the idea that California can legislate for the entire country clearly undermines state sovereignty,” said Attorney General Paxton. “When it comes to legislation that affects all States, those States must have a voice.”

By intervening to block California’s special status to limit and regulate emissions, the Ohio and Texas coalition aims to restore the equal status of all States, lower vehicles prices, improve the variety of vehicles on the market, and preserve jobs tied to vehicle manufacturing.

Along with Texas, States participating in this motion to intervene include Ohio, Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Utah and West Virginia.

To view a copy of the motion to intervene, click here.

AG Paxton: Children Must Be Protected from Unnecessary and Abusive Medical Treatments

AUSTIN – The Office of the Attorney General today sent a referral to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), requesting the agency investigate possible child abuse against seven-year-old James Younger, whose mother has proposed chemically and surgically altering his biological sex based on her belief that he may identify as a girl.

“Texans understand that children are cherished, unique individuals who should be supported and properly cared for as they grow up in our communities,” said Attorney General Ken Paxton. “I trust that DFPS will act immediately upon our request, conduct a thorough investigation, and protect this child.”

To view a copy of the letter, click here.

Request for Opinion

Original Request RQ-0312-KP
Whether section 74.104 of the Government Code limits the commissioners court in setting salaries of the court coordinator and assistant court coordinator for a district court

Date Received
Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Official Requestor
The Honorable Ana Markowski Smith
Val Verde County Attorney
207 East Losoya Street
Del Rio, Texas 78840

Office of the Texas Attorney General – Grant Deadlines and Application Information

Eligibility is limited to current SAPCS-State grantees or the State Sexual Assault Coalition. Please refer to the FY 2020-2023 SAPCS-Federal Grant Application Kit for definitions of both entity types*

Timeline 

• October 25, 2019– Request for Applications (RFAs), the Application Kit and On-line registration will be posted and available for the SAPCS-Federal grant 
• November 8, 2019– OAG strongly encourages Applicants to register by this date in order to have sufficient time to complete the application.  
• November 22, 2019 –Due date for application submission via Grant Offering and Application Lifecycle System (GOALS).? Specific submission instructions are in the Application Kit.  
• January- February 2020 – OAG plans to notify Applicants of its decision regarding a grant award. 

 Applicant Registration – MANDATORY  

• All applicants are required to register on-line in order to apply for funding.  
• Applicants who created accounts during the OVAG, VCLG, and SAPCS-State grant application cycle are already registered in the GOALS system.
• In order to register, an Applicant must designate one person as their point of contact to submit their grant application.  
• To create an on-line account the applicant must email the point of contact information to Grants@oag.texas.gov with the following information: 
• First Name 
• Last Name 
• Email Address 
• Organization Legal Name 
• The point of contact will receive a welcome email from GOALS and will be prompted to create a password. 
• **Registration is mandatory. Applicants who fail to complete the on-line registration will not be considered for funding. **
  

The OAG strongly encourages potential applicants to read the Application Kit and the GOALS Guide prior to beginning the application process. These documents can be found: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/divisions/grants.

If you have any questions about the application process, email Grants@oag.texas.gov or call (512) 936-0792.