A planned July 4 "welcome-home" celebration for a Houston pastor convicted in an online child-sex sting has been called off, just days before his scheduled release from prison. Jeremiah Busby is set to walk free on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, after serving less than half of a 25-year sentence, a move that has split opinion between supporters who believe in redemption and neighbors focused on safety.
Parole And The Canceled Celebration
According to ABC13, records show Busby was granted parole and is expected to be released on Tuesday. Supporters had been promoting a July 4 party at Set Free Church on Uvalde Road as a "welcome-home" event, but church leaders told the station they canceled the rental and returned the organizer's money after they were contacted about Busby's background.
ABC13 also reports that Busby will be required to register as a sex offender and, if he is released as scheduled, will remain on parole for roughly 14 years.
Conviction And Arrest
Busby pleaded guilty in February 2017 to online solicitation of a minor and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the Houston Chronicle reported. Local outlets say he was first arrested in 2015 in a Montgomery County internet sting after an undercover detective posed as a 14-year-old in online messages. Click2Houston reported that officers took Busby into custody when he showed up to the meeting spot that had been arranged in those conversations.
Supporters And Church Response
Randy San Miguel, who organized the now-canceled event and said he met Busby when both men were incarcerated, told ABC13, "I'm an advocate for second chances because someone did it for me." He said any contact Busby might have with children would be monitored.
Church leaders, for their part, told the station they did not know about Busby's conviction when the facility was booked and emphasized that children attend services at Set Free Church. Once they learned of his record, they said they canceled the event out of concern for safety.
Parole Supervision And Public-Safety Rules
If Busby is released, he will come under specialized parole supervision along with sex offender registration requirements that affect where he can live and how often he must report, in line with state policy. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice outlines sex offender program supervision guidelines that parole officers use to set conditions and monitor people on release, including special reporting rules and treatment conditions for those on the registry.
For now, the July 4 gathering is off and Set Free Church has refunded the organizer. Neighbors and congregants say they are watching for any further notices from authorities or from church leaders. This story will be updated if officials or Busby's legal representatives release additional details.
