An Austin-area man was arrested in late December after allegedly chatting with a minor in North Texas, who was really an undercover detective, through social media and then trying to meet with her.
James Austin Byrd, 42, is charged with online solicitation of a minor after chatting with detectives on a chat platform called Whisper, police said.
North Richland Hills Police said a detective posed as a 15-year-old girl, and Byrd contacted them. Byrd reportedly agreed to meet with the teenage girl in North Richland Hills in Tarrant County.
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The police department said Byrd was a teacher in the Bastrop Independent School District in the Austin metropolitan area.
Authorities said the investigation into Byrd was a joint operation involving the North Richland Hills Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children, the Fort Worth Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies.
Byrd is no longer in custody, according to police.
