A 35-year-old Harris County man faces charges for allegedly sexually assaulting multiple underage girls in The Woodlands and other areas around Houston. Hernan Duarte was apprehended at a local park after a bait operation conducted by Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable's office.
Investigations into Duarte's activities began following an interview with one of the victims at Children's Safe Harbor in Conroe. Officials stated that Duarte sought out his victims through social media applications, engaging with girls younger than 15, and arranged meetings purportedly for sexual encounters, as FOX 26 Houston reported. Upon arraignment to meet what he believed was another victim, Duarte was taken into custody by detectives who had posed as a juvenile.
Duarte now faces three counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child. Due to the nature of his alleged crimes, authorities are concerned that there might be additional victims yet to come forward.
In an effort to apprehend Duarte, detectives with Precinct 3 Constable's office arranged an online sting operation, orchestrating a meeting with him at a park in The Woodlands, per details gleaned by KHOU 11. Upon arriving, instead of encountering a young girl, Duarte was met by law enforcement and arrested.
The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable's Office is now urging anyone with further information on Duarte or possible additional victims to contact them at 281-364-4211 or by email at [email protected].
