Denton: Police Say He Asked Officer Posing As Girl to Meet for Sex Act
By Donna Fielder
WFAA
August 18, 2007
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/081807dnmetsting.42b4c86f.html
Denton — The pastor of an Arlington church arrived in Denton this week for what he believed was a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl, authorities say, and was confronted by police officers instead.
Leroy Ruedas Cruz, 50, was in the Denton jail Friday in lieu of $20,000 bail on charges of online solicitation of a minor with intent for sexual contact and online solicitation of a minor with a sexually explicit image sent with the intent to arouse.
Police documents show he is the pastor of the Grace Fellowship Church in Arlington. He could not be reached for comment.
Denton Detective Sgt. Scott Jenkins said a detective on Thursday entered a chat room posing as a girl and waited to be contacted by someone. Almost immediately, the officer received an instant message from Mr. Cruz asking for age, sex and marital status information, said Sgt. Jenkins, who oversees detectives who investigate crimes against children.
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| Leroy Ruedas Cruz |
The detective replied that he was a 15-year-old female, Sgt. Jenkins said, and immediately received a message asking if he would like to view the messenger naked on his webcam. The officer replied that he would "take a peek," and Mr. Cruz turned on the camera, the sergeant said.
"And then he stood up and fondled himself," according to the police report.
The man on the Internet then began talking explicitly about sex. After a brief conversation, Mr. Cruz asked if the "girl" would perform a sex act on him for $50, the sergeant said.
They talked online for about an hour during lunch hour. They had never had any contact before that, police said. They made an appointment at a park in Denton for 2 p.m. Several officers waited at the park.
They spotted the man seen on the Web camera and took Mr. Cruz into custody.
Mr. Cruz used his home computer to make the contact, Sgt. Jenkins said. Officers are obtaining a search warrant for the computer.
Terresa Province of Arlington, one of Mr. Cruz's ex-wives, said she wasn't entirely surprised by his arrest. She said they had an 11-year marriage, which ended in 2004.
"If he did it, he needs to get caught," she said. "He needs to get help."
She said the accusations that he tried to solicit sex from a teen make her particularly upset. Mr. Cruz was always fond of children, Ms. Province said, and he went out of his way to talk to them and buy them candy.
"He was like a big kid himself," she said.
Ms. Province said her ex-husband was charismatic, and she described herself as "brainwashed" early in their marriage.
She said his small storefront church in a central Arlington strip shopping center used to attract about 50 to 60 people to the Pentecostal-style services. After their divorce, she said, attendance dwindled, and the church left the Stoneridge Village shopping center.
It's not clear what happened to the church then. Neighboring tenants said he moved at least two years ago, and the space is now occupied by a pool hall and game room.
In the 20 months since Denton police initiated a part-time Internet sting program, they have arrested 41 men in similar situations.
Contact: dfielder@dentonrc.com
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