A Houston-area family has filed a lawsuit against a former Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy, Harris County itself, and the owners of the Pure dating app, seeking $1 million in damages over the alleged drugging and sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in March 2026. The suit names 35-year-old Nicholas Burbridge, who allegedly posed as a 16-year-old on the app to arrange a meeting with the girl before driving her to his home in Tomball.
According to the lawsuit, as reported by Houston Public Media, Burbridge gave the girl edibles from a dispensary that allegedly caused her to lose consciousness before the assault occurred. The plaintiffs include the alleged victim, her parents, and her great-grandfather, who argue the attack was made possible in part by Harris County's failure to act on an earlier complaint against Burbridge.
A Timeline Spanning Two Separate Criminal Cases
Burbridge was arrested on August 3, 2026, and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, later posting a $150,000 bond before his release later that month, per the same Houston Public Media report. He was also charged separately with solicitation of a prostitute tied to an incident allegedly occurring in August 2025. Court records reviewed by Click2Houston show the solicitation charge stemmed from an allegation that Burbridge offered money to a female in exchange for a sexual relationship while he was still an active deputy, and that his total combined bond across both cases reached $165,000.
Click2Houston's reporting says the Houston Police Department filed the August 2025 solicitation charge and independently investigated the March 2026 aggravated sexual assault case. Harris County confirmed Burbridge was terminated from his position on March 6, 2026, roughly five months before his criminal arrest.
Family Says the County Ignored Earlier Warning Signs
The lawsuit accuses Harris County of failing to investigate, discipline, or otherwise act on the alleged August 2025 solicitation complaint before the March 2026 assault took place. The plaintiffs argue that this inaction allowed Burbridge's conduct to escalate and enabled what they describe as continued misuse of his authority as a deputy.
Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin said the county takes allegations of this nature very seriously, but added that it had not yet been served with any lawsuit related to these claims and could not comment further on pending litigation, according to Houston Public Media. Attorney Cordt Akers, representing Burbridge, told the outlet the allegations were false and that Burbridge did not commit the alleged act.
Dating App Named as Defendant Faces Steep Legal Hurdle
The lawsuit also names the owners of Pure, accusing the company of failing to properly verify Burbridge's age before he allegedly posed as a 16-year-old to arrange contact with the girl. Pure is operated by Online Classifieds AG, a company headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. Apple lists the app as 18+ on the Apple App Store, while Google Play rates it Mature 17+. The app is designed around anonymity, with personal ads, chat messages, and shared media set to automatically self-destruct and screenshot notifications enforced to protect user identity. Pure did not return a request for comment from Houston Public Media.
The Ninth Circuit's 2025 decision in Doe v. Grindr affirmed Section 230 protection for Grindr against claims that it should have monitored and prevented adult communications to minors, reasoning that such a requirement would treat the platform as a publisher, according to Courthouse News.
What Burbridge Could Face in Texas Courts
Under Texas Penal Code Section 22.021, aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 is a first-degree felony carrying a sentence ranging from 5 to 99 years or life in prison, along with mandatory lifetime sex offender registration, according to Varghese Summersett. Texas law also specifically identifies the administration of drugs or intoxicants to impair a victim's ability to resist as an aggravating factor that can elevate a sexual offense charge, as outlined by the Gallian Firm.
The lawsuit, in addition to $1 million in damages, also seeks attorney fees.
