A 28-year-old Houston-area man is facing new felony charges after Bryan police say he drove from Katy to meet a 14-year-old girl, and officers found him with her just before midnight on September 3 in his vehicle at the back of Sue Haswell Park, its windows obscured. What initially included possible charges for a city park curfew violation, unlawful carrying of a weapon and enticing a child has since expanded into a much more serious case involving allegations of explicit online exchanges and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Daniel Gutierrez Salgado was arrested that night after officers discovered him and the girl together in his car, according to WTAW. Officers searching the vehicle recovered condoms, a handgun, a new package of girls’ underwear, sports bras, and a sexually themed rabbit costume, the station reports. Salgado and the girl reportedly denied having an inappropriate relationship, instead describing it as a father-figure relationship, per the same account.
A Mother’s Warnings Went Unheeded
The girl’s mother told police she had learned of her daughter’s interactions with Salgado via Snapchat starting in 2024, and that she had explicitly told him not to contact her daughter, the station’s report states. She also said her daughter had previously run away to be with Salgado, and that the teen left home the night of the arrest without her mother’s knowledge, according to the same account.
The case had already drawn law enforcement attention months earlier. Harris County detectives conducted a welfare check at Salgado’s home in June 2025, and records showed explicit exchanges dating from January 2025, according to the outlet’s reporting.
Digital Evidence Reveals Explicit Exchanges
After the initial arrest, Bryan police said records showed explicit conversations and videos exchanged between Salgado and the girl beginning in January 2025, with explicit videos reportedly sent in the hours before his arrest, the article notes. That evidence led Bryan police to charge Salgado with intentionally distributing sexually explicit material over the internet. The initial potential charges also included a city park curfew violation, unlawful carrying of a weapon and enticing a child, per the same account.
Salgado posted a $46,000 bond and was released on September 8, according to the station’s report.
New Felony Warrant Issued
Bryan police have since added felony charges against Salgado, including intentionally and knowingly possessing visual material of a child younger than 18 engaging in sexual conduct, WTAW reports. A warrant has been issued for his arrest on the new charges, though it remains unclear whether it has been executed.
The enticement charge alone carries significant weight under Texas law. Under Texas Penal Code § 25.04, enticing a child from lawful parental custody is typically a Class B misdemeanor, but the offense elevates to a third-degree felony if the offender intended to commit a felony against the child. The distribution charge falls under a separate statute: according to the Texas District & County Attorneys Association, communicating in a sexually explicit manner or distributing explicit material to a minor over the internet is classified as a third- or second-degree felony under Texas law.
Possession Charge Carries Its Own Prison Exposure
The newly filed possession charge is separately severe. Per Varghese Summersett, Texas law criminalizes knowingly possessing visual material depicting a child under 18 engaged in sexual conduct.
The case fits into a broader statewide push against online exploitation of minors. A joint Texas law enforcement operation conducted during March and April 2026, known as Operation Soteria Shield, resulted in 276 child exploitation arrests and the rescue of 89 children after targeting predators using messaging apps and social media platforms, according to the FBI.
