On April 24, 2023, The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office received a call for service where it was alleged that a 34-year-old adult male was using social media (Facebook) and text messaging with a cell phone to contact a 15-year-old juvenile female. The teen brought the incident to her mother’s attention. It was then the mother took over talking with the male who still thought it was the teen. Knowing the male was en route to the residence in the Cleveland area mother hid vehicles making it appear that nobody was home. As the male pulled up he spooked and took off. The mother of the 15-year-old juvenile began chasing the adult male in her vehicle leaving Liberty County on Highway 59 N and into San Jacinto County. Upon the mother returning home at 11:44 pm, she called the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office to report the alleged incident. A patrol Deputy went to the residence and took the information for the report. According to Captain David Meyers a spokesperson for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Criminal Investigation Division was notified about the incident during the early hours of April 25, 2023, and began gathering more information from the juvenile female’s cell phone. Based on the information obtained from the juvenile’s cell phone, enough probable cause was present to obtain a warrant on the male suspect, Justin Wayne Lacy of Onalaska, Polk County, for Online Solicitation of a Minor, a third-degree Felony. Investigators with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office upon the warrant being signed by a Liberty County Judge, went to a shop believed to be owned by Lacy in Livingston, Polk County where he was arrested and transported back to Liberty County Jail without incident. According to Captain Meyers, Investigators are continuing to gather more information about this incident.
