Nicholas Burbridge, 34, was arrested Monday after he was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14. Court records allege he knew the girl was a minor, engaged in sexual conduct with her and offered to buy her edibles.
According to court documents, the alleged assault happened on March 17, when the girl was just days away from her 14th birthday.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office told Eyewitness News Burbridge was fired on March 19. He had worked for the department since 2020.
The girl's mother, who ABC13 is not identifying due to the sexual nature of the allegations, described the moment she says she found her after she was unable to reach her daughter for hours.
"She didn't know where she was. I was so scared. It was hard to wake her up. She couldn't walk. I was like, 'What happened?'"
The mother said Burbridge took her daughter to his home in Tomball. Under Texas law, a 13-year-old cannot legally consent to sexual activity.
Learning the accused was a law enforcement officer made the allegations even more disturbing, she added.
"I'm furious. You're supposed to help us protect our kids."
In 2023, Burbridge was named HCSO "Teammate of the Week" for assisting a citizen who had a seizure.
Tuesday morning, he got a different kind of special attention. Court was cleared for the former deputy's first appearance "for safety reasons," the hearing officer said.
Meantime, the teen girl's mother worries there could be more victims.
"He knew what he was doing and that she was a child."
Burbridge also faces a separate charge of soliciting prostitution stemming from a human trafficking investigation. He is expected in court on Wednesday at which time bond will be set.
If he's able to post bond, conditions include GPS monitoring, no contact with children and no unsupervised internet access.