Online Operation Snags Child Sex Abuser

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX -- On Thursday, November 19, 2020, Judge Patty Maginnis in the 435th District Court sentenced Ronald Royce Crow II to a total of 30 years in prison for Online Solicitation of a Minor and Sexual Assault of a Child.

A multi-agency investigation revealed that Crow, 37, used the Internet to actively search for children as young as 8 years-old to sexually abuse.

In November of 2019, officers with the Montgomery County Division of the Houston Metro Crimes Against Children Task Force were conducting an undercover investigation into child sexual exploitation on social media applications. One officer was posing online as an underage girl. Crow initiated a conversation with that 'girl' and eventually asked to meet for sex.

While Crow was communicating with that officer, he was also chatting online with a second detective. The second detective was posing as an adult woman with an 8 year-old daughter. Crow again turned the conversation sexual and eventually asked to meet to have sex with a girl he believed was 8 years old. During the conversation, Crow sent the detective images of Crow sexually abusing a 16 year-old boy.

Both officers separately agreed to meet Crow who believed he was coming to have a sexual encounter with a child. Crow traveled to one of agreed meeting places and was arrested. Officers found a cell phone in Crow’s possession.

Officers examined the cell phone and found images of Crow sexually abusing the 16 year old boy - the same images that he had sent to one of the detectives. They also found images and chats related to a second 16 year old boy with whom Crow said he had sex. The phone contained messages sent by Crow saying he had a “young fetish” and that “young is my kink.”

Crow pled guilty to sexually assaulting the 16 year old boy and soliciting sex uith a person he believed to be underage. Based on the severity of crimes, Prosecutors required consecutive sentences as part of the plea agreement, resulting in Crow being sentenced to 30 years in prison.

This case was investigated by members of the Montgomery County Division of the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable's Office, the Montgomery County Precinct 2 Constable's Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Task Force is a multi-agency effort that includes officers from local, state and federal agencies who combine resources to combat the online exploitation of children

. Assistant District Attorney Chris Seufert: 'This defendant will attempt to have sex with any child. He solicited sex with boys and girls, adolescents, and teenagers. No child is safe with him on the streets. Fortunately, he will be in prison for a long time and our children are safer for it'

District Attorney Brett Ligon: 'Mr. Crow was working hard to sexually abuse as many of our young people as he could. Fortunately, law enforcement and our officer worked harder, and .. Crow's relentless pursuit of our children has been put to an end. We did this through a proactive search, and we will continue these efforts to find the other Mr Crows out there to keep our children as safe as we possibly can.'