In a twisted case of illicit prison communications, Bexar County inmate Bishoy Mina Elkhaliny, 36, has been charged with the serious offense of online solicitation of a minor under 14 years of age. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar informed the public that Elkhaliny had been using a state-issued iPad from behind bars to contact and solicit nude photos from five girls between the ages of 12 and 15, as reported by KSAT.
The scandal came to light following a tip-off to Child Protective Services, leading to the unsettling revelation that the communication extended across various counties, with two victims from Bexar County and three from Tarrant and Dallas counties. Sheriff Salazar, during a Friday press conference, detailed that the inmate had managed to breach prison protocols by leveraging technology meant for connecting inmates to the outside world, as mentioned by FOX San Antonio. Investigation into Elkhaliny's activities further unearthed that he had a range of previous charges, including assault causing serious bodily injury, among others, in Nueces County.
The case took an even more bizarre turn when authorities discovered that Elkhaliny's estranged wife, Mariam Said Elkhaliny, 34, was also in legal hot water, facing bigamy charges. Sheriff Salazar confirmed that Mariam was simultaneously married to Bishoy, who is also her first cousin, and to the biological father of her children. "In the state of Texas, there was a change to the law that you can be married to your cousin but can’t have sexual relations with your cousin," Salazar told KSAT. Mariam had previously been instructed by CPS to cease all contact with Bishoy to regain custody of her children, but findings indicate that the warning was disregarded.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from CPS, has removed Mariam's children from her custody and it is currently unclear if she has bonded out after her arrest. The investigation is ongoing, and the office has not released whether Bishoy Elkhaliny still has access to the iPad used to commit the offenses. This case showcases a disturbing misuse of technology and a flagrant violation of the limits meant to protect minors and uphold the integrity of correctional facilities.
