Sex Offender Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison Following ICAC Operation

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX -- On September 28, 2021, Charles Scott Crowley, 40, pled guilty to Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and Sexual Performance by a Child in the 435th District Court of Montgomery County. Pursuant to his plea, the court sentenced Crowley to 50 years in prison. This prosecution was the result of an operation by the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Taskforce. The ICAC Taskforce is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces, representing over 4,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement dedicated to investigating, prosecuting, and developing effective responses to internet crimes against children.

This case began on April 6, 2020, when then the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued a 'Priority 1' Cyber tip to investigators assigned to the Houston Metro ICAC Taskforce. The tip concerned the exploitation of children and the uploading of their images to an internet service provider.

Investigator Jeremy Thomas of the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office and Investigator Bruce Moats of the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office began a joint investigation based on the tip. In just 24 hours, Investigators Thomas and Moats identified the suspect, executed simultaneous search warrants for multiple locations in Montgomery County and Ft. Bend County, arrested the defendant, and identified and secured the child victims, two girls ages I and 7. Crowley was apprehended with explicit images of children and charged with Possession of Child Pornography in Ft. Bend County. The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office charged Crowley with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child a. Sexual Performance by a Child since that abuse occurred in Montgomery County.

This case was a multi-agency effort to take a predator off the streets of Montgomery County and Fort Bend County. The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and other members of the Houston-Metro ICAC This Force assisted in investigating this case and apprehending the offender. The case was prosecuted by Special Victims Division Chief Shanna Redwine.

Special Victims Division Chief Shanna Redwine: 'In just 24 hours from receiving a report of abuse, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force detectives sprang into action and conducted a complete case investigation that resulted in the rescue of young victims and identified the predator responsible. That predator is now separated from society and will be so for decades. These investigators acted both heroically and skillfully to accomplish this end, and it is worth noting that to do so, they had to see things most of us would do anything to avoid seeing. They undertook the difficult work in this case, and they do so in other cases day in and day out to protect my children and your children. For this service, these men and women deserve all of our praise and gratitude. They certainly have mine.'

District Attorney Brett Ligon: 'There is real evil in this world. Charles Scott Crowley is proof. Men like Crowley sneak around in the dark shadows of the internet, preying on our children when we aren't watching. The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has the mission to turn a bright light on men like Crowley and drag them by the heels into the open. Then it is our Office's task to do everything we can to ensure these men answer for their crimes, and that's exactly what happen here thanks to the good work of these dedicated law enforcement officers.'