Former teacher, church youth volunteer accused of solicitation of minor, Pct. 1 says
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Forty-two year-old Lance Hoffpauir was arrested right near his home, and he was accused of sending x-rated messages to an undercover officer, who he thought was an underage girl.
"He was asking for pictures, sending a bunch of different things, and asking a bunch of different stuff we met the elements to charge him with online solicitation of the minor which is a first-degree felony," Constable Alan Rosen said.
ABC13 was told Hoffpauir was a certified junior high teacher and also a church youth volunteer, but investigators would not tell us which church.
In court, Eyewitness News also learned he has three minor children of his own.
"Those are alarming, and what's exactly why we're here in front of your camera today is to try and find out if there are any more victims," Rosen said.
Two months ago, a member of the department's "internet crimes against children unit" posed as a teenage girl online when Hoffpauir contacted her on social media.
"These kinds of individuals reach out and that's the way we make the cases," Rosen said.
Court documents lay out Hoffpauir's disturbing behavior. It says he sent around 30 sexually explicit photos on the Kik app, and referred to the undercover officer as his "teen girlfriend."
While attempting to meet up, court records say that he even references the TV show "to catch a predator" when asked if he was going to get in trouble.
During one of the message exchanges, he sent his picture and the investigators were able to use facial recognition software to track him down and eventually put him behind bars.
"Our message is parents be aware. They have people like this out there trying to solicit your kids, and you've got to be involved in their social media platforms," Rosen said.
