Houston Firefighter Charged With Sexual Assault

There is a sick pervert in the Houston fire department.

A Houston firefighter was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child after a routine traffic stop by Friendswood police early Wednesday. Sean E. Caruthers, 38, was pulled over at 1:36 a.m. in the 2600 block of South Friendswood Drive, police said.

Investigators said Caruthers had no proof of financial responsibility and was detained while officers interviewed a passenger in the car, a 14-year-old boy. The boy told officers he had been sexually assaulted by an older man. Caruthers was then taken into custody.

Police learned Caruthers and the boy had become acquainted on the Internet and had subsequently met in person several times. Investigators said Caruthers, who joined the Houston Fire Department in 1999, and the teen had been involved in at least four incidents of sexual activity.

Serving Up More Than Food

Restaurant vows to keep patrons happy by serving up a little sex on the side:

A Houston restaurant operator was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison Monday for his role in a sex trafficking ring that lured women and girls here from Central America and Mexico and forced them into prostitution.

Walter Alexander Corea pleaded guilty in 2006 to one count of servitude-trafficking conspiracy and one count of smuggling conspiracy in connection with what officials believe to be one of the nation's largest smuggling operations.

As she sentenced him, U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore said that she was imposing the maximum amount of time allowable under federal law for the convictions.

The restaurant was probably just a front for the sex trafficking.

Houston Opens Books To Online Scrutiny

This is such a good idea.

This week, purchasing officials unveiled a new Web site that allows anyone to easily get detailed information about city contracts and one-time purchases.

The online catalog is among several searchable features on the city's homepage, including restaurant inspections and campaign-finance records.

The digital disclosure follows a trend of governments using technology to open their books to Web visitors. Transparency advocates say that can save agencies money by automating requests for information from the public.

This will help eliminate fraud and waste. More cities should follow Houston's example.

Fighting Crime In SW Houston

The Department of Justice has awarded the City of Houston a $1 million dollar grant to fight crime in Southwest Houston. The name of the program makes you think: Weed and Seed Program; sort of like a play on words.

The grant will be doled out over the next five years with half going toward police activities — primarily overtime pay for officers. The rest will fund programs to assist area residents, like job training and child care, officials said.

Riot Breaks Out At Federal Detention Center

A riot broke out on the sixth floor of the federal detention center in downtown Houston Tuesday night. As many as 80 federal inmates were involved in a riot at the federal detention facility in downtown Houston.

The detention center, which houses both male and female federal inmates, is located at 1200 Texas, just blocks from Minute Maid Park. It is an administrative facility housing pretrial and holdover inmates.

Benzene Levels Increases In Houston

Mayor Bill White challenged the area's chemical industry to reduce its emissions of toxic chemicals such as benzene four months ago and promised punitive measures if it failed to do so.

Since then, levels of the carcinogen benzene in the Houston region's air haven't fallen or even remained flat; they've gone up, the city says.

According to data collected by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and analyzed by the city of Houston, 13 air monitors that track benzene south and east of downtown, from Lake Jackson to Wallisville, saw increases in the amount of time that benzene concentrations exceeded healthy levels.

Justice Department Investigates Harris County Jail

The Harris County Jail is under investigation by the Department of Justice civil rights division. In a letter sent to Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on Friday, the department said the probe would determine whether the jail is operating under unlawful conditions.

If the Justice investigation finds violations, federal officials will suggest ways to improve jail conditions. If those recommendations are not met, federal law allows the attorney general to sue the county.

Large Fine Possible for Southwest Airlines

The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it will seek a record $10.2 million fine against Southwest Airlines for flying 46 jets without doing required fuselage inspections.

The Dallas-based airline, which carries more than 80 percent of the passengers who move through Houston's Hobby Airport, found cracks on six of those planes once the overdue inspections were conducted, the FAA said.

IRS Investigates Yolanda Adams

Houston gospel singer and radio host Yolanda Adams is under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.

The agency has asked a federal judge to force the entertainer to turn over documents after she failed to show up for an appointment last month to explain her financial affairs. The agency is trying to determine her tax liability and how to collect on the debt.

Burglar Back In New Orleans

A burglar, who committed crimes in Houston, is back in New Orleans. After the burglar committed his crimes, he fled to Federal Way, Washington. After embarking on a reign of terror in Washington State, the burglar has now return to New Orleans.

Please be on the lookout for this burglar because he is also a sociopath.

Houston Exec Faces Drug Charges

A Houston oil industry executive, who achieved fleeting notoriety for his part in a paternity dispute involving one of President Bush's brothers, has been charged with drug possession after a young woman died from an overdose of cocaine she ingested at his Galleria-area townhome.

Robert Pace Andrews, 52, is charged with possession of a controlled substance, a state jail felony offense. He is in Beijing on business and has not yet been arrested, according to his lawyer. Andrews faces up to two years in jail if convicted.

Houston Police Searching For Serial Rapist

The Houston Police Department's Sex Crimes unit are looking for a serial rapist who has committed at least four sexual assaults on Houston’s southwest side. The assaults began Sept. 27, 2007.

The suspect is described as a black male with a medium to dark complexion. They believe he is 24-30 years old and 150-180 pounds. He has a slender build.

Police say during the attacks he wore a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. In one case, he wore a blue shirt, dark sweatpants and a beanie cap.

TSU Wants To Change School's Image

Texas Southern University's new president wants to end the school's long-standing practice of accepting all applicants, no matter their academic background, saying the policy contributes to its alarmingly low graduation rate.

President John Rudley said the change is necessary to remake the state's largest historically black university, which has been on the ropes recently because of management missteps, sliding enrollment and bad press.

Nai Xin Xue Sighted In Houston

The first confirmed sighting of fugitive Nai Xin Xue has him in Houston, Texas - 2500 kilometres away from where he disappeared into Los Angeles' Chinatown.

US Marshals are now in Houston hunting Xue, who has been on the run since September 13, after allegedly killed An An Liu in Auckland and dumping their child Qian Xun Xue - nicknamed Pumpkin - in Melbourne on his way to the United States.

Houston sex toy sellers hail court victory

Houston's adult bookstore backers Wednesday hailed a federal court's decision to overturn a 35-year-old state law that banned promotion or sale of sex toys. But the decision won't go into effect until the court issues its mandate in early March — long after the industry's lucrative pre-Valentine's Day season.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law violates the privacy protections of the 14th Amendment.