A 32-year-old Austin man was arrested Thursday night in Austin on a second-degree felony charge after Harris County authorities say he repeatedly messaged a Houston-area teenager online, telling her he wanted to have sex with her, get her pregnant, and take her to a Donald Trump rally. Hunter James Kufta faces up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
According to KHOU, the Harris County Constable's Office says Kufta was charged with online solicitation of a minor after sending the girl explicit messages. Court records cited by the station say Kufta told the teen he wanted to travel to Houston to have sex with her and possibly get her pregnant, and separately discussed bringing her and her parents to a Trump rally in San Antonio. Kufta was arrested in Austin on Thursday night, with the Austin Police Department assisting Harris County Constable Precinct 1 in taking him into custody.
The case began when the girl's parents contacted the Memorial Villages Police Department after learning, according to court records, that Kufta had repeatedly and explicitly chatted online with their daughter and would not leave her alone. The report notes that Constable Alan Rosen's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit then took over the investigation, and a detective assumed the girl's online identity to continue communicating with Kufta directly.
A Repeat Offender With a Florida Record
Authorities say Kufta was previously convicted of a sex offense involving a minor in Florida and was required to register there as a sex offender. The same report indicates he moved from Florida to Texas in April. Rosen described Kufta as incredibly bold, and said investigators caught him and stopped him from having more child victims, per the station's report.
Rosen also used the case to urge parents toward more open conversations with their kids about online activity, saying that kind of communication can help young people seek help during exploitation or an online crisis. He urged the public to help protect children and to call authorities with any related information. The Constable Precinct 1 Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, which operates as part of the Houston-Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, can be reached at 713-222-4929 for information about Kufta's possible involvement with other minors.
Part of a Broader Pattern in the Houston Area
Kufta's arrest follows a string of similar online solicitation cases across the Houston region this year. In August, Harris County Precinct 4 deputies arrested 28-year-old Maximiano Torres after an undercover operation in which investigators posing as juveniles on social media said he communicated with an undercover officer and later went to a hotel in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, according to click2houston.com.
That same month, a 54-year-old Alvin man named Pedro Solis was arrested near Pearland and charged with online solicitation of a minor after allegedly sending sexually explicit messages to someone he believed was a 15-year-old girl, click2houston.com reported separately. In that case, the supposed teen was actually an undercover detective with the Harris County Precinct One Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. A Woodlands man was also arrested earlier this year on an online solicitation charge in Harris County, according to FOX 26 Houston.
A Statewide Crackdown on Child Exploitation
The arrests come amid a larger statewide push against online child exploitation. A Texas operation known as Operation Soteria Shield led to 276 arrests and the rescue of 89 children, according to CBS Texas, with the crackdown bringing together 91 agencies and 197 personnel. Those arrested faced charges ranging from possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material to online solicitation, trafficking and sexual assault, per the outlet.
Kufta's case remains under investigation by the Constable Precinct 1 Internet Crimes Against Children Unit as authorities continue looking into whether he had contact with other potential victims.
