A firefighter with Rhome Fire Rescue was arrested at his own fire station last Thursday morning, accused of soliciting a teenage girl online and possessing child pornography. Zackary Cooper, 22, was taken into custody around 7 a.m. on Oct. 15 after investigators tied him to a case that began hundreds of miles away in Harris County.
According to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, investigators with the Texas Department of Public Safety carried out the arrest, which centered on allegations of online solicitation of a minor and possession of child pornography. Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth reported the suspect's full name as Zachary Christian Cooper, while NBC 5 identified him as Zackary Cooper; both outlets confirmed the arrest took place at the Rhome Fire Station.
The case traces back to Harris County, where deputies with Constable Mark Herman's Precinct 4 responded to a residence after parents reported that their teenage daughter had been sexually exploited online by an unknown adult male, according to the Cross Timbers Gazette. Herman's Criminal Investigations Division was assigned to the case, and its detectives are members of the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
How Investigators Tracked Down a Suspect
Constable's office detectives reviewed digital evidence and obtained records from social media platforms, the Gazette's report notes, and that work eventually led them to identify Cooper as the suspect. Investigators then alleged that Cooper had engaged in sexually explicit online communications with the teenage victim in Harris County, per the same account.
Before the arrest, detectives coordinated with the Dallas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Texas Department of Public Safety's Criminal Investigations Division, the Gazette reported. In a statement carried by the outlet, Constable Mark Herman said his office provides all available resources to protect vulnerable citizens, especially children, and that his office remains committed to protecting kids and working with law enforcement partners to investigate online exploitation.
Herman's office also announced the arrest on Facebook, writing, “CONSTABLE DETECTIVES HELP BRING ACCUSED ONLINE CHILD PREDATOR TO JUSTICE!” The post, shared via Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 on Facebook, credited the office's detectives with the identification and arrest.
Fired From Two Fire Agencies
Cooper worked as a firefighter employed by a small municipality in North Texas, and his arrest cost him his job almost immediately. The City of Rhome terminated his employment with the city and Rhome Fire Rescue, NBC 5 reported, while the Gazette reported that Denton County Emergency Services District No. 1 also terminated Cooper's employment once it learned of the arrest.
Cooper was booked into Wise County Jail on the two charges, the Gazette reported. Accounts differ on what happened next: the Gazette reported Cooper was released Friday after posting a total bond of $20,000 and is awaiting trial, while the Wise County Messenger reported that he remained in jail Friday morning with bond set at a combined $20,000.
Investigation Remains Active
NBC 5 reported that the case remains an active criminal investigation and that officials have not released additional details about the allegations or arrest. As is standard, all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Constable Herman's office has encouraged residents to use its C4 Now mobile app, which the office describes as a tool for live feeds on crime, arrests, safety tips and traffic accidents, and it also maintains a presence on Instagram at @constablepct4.
