LUMBERTON, Texas — A 29-year-old man from California was arrested after Lumberton Police say he admitted to having sex with a minor found in his car.
Dillon Matthew Ellis was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. Lumberton Police responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle at a home on Kendrick Lane.
Responding officers found a vehicle with California tags. In the car, they found Ellis with a 13-year-old girl, according to Chief Danny Sullins.
Ellis told officers he thought the victim was 19 and admitted to having sex with her. However, evidence suggests that Ellis knew the victim’s actual age, Sullins said.
Investigators believe Ellis planned to take the minor back to California, according to a Hardin County Sheriff's Office release.
On Tuesday, Ellis was arrested for “interference with child custody.” On Wednesday, an arrest warrant was served, charging him with “trafficking of person.”
That is a first degree felony and if convicted, a person could face anywhere from five years to life in prison.
Ellis is currently being held in the Hardin County Jail on a $2 million bond.
Lumberton Police learned that Ellis and his victim communicated online. Investigators believe Ellis was communicating with three other juveniles using social media and those conversations are a part of the ongoing investigation, according to the release.
Lumberton Police contacted Texas Ranger Josh Bensen because of his experience in online predators. Lumberton Police expect more charges to filed against Ellis, Sullins said.
The victim's mother has since been contacted.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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From a Hardin County Sheriff's Office release:
HARDIN COUNTY – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Criminal Investigations Division, with the assistance of the Lumberton Police Department and Texas Rangers (DPS), arrested a California man on charges of trafficking of persons, a felony offense, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022.
The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Dillon Ellis, is accused of traveling from California to Texas, where he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old juvenile and had intentions of taking the victim back to California.
Ellis used social media to engage with the child, eventually soliciting illicit images. Investigators believe Ellis was actively communicating with at least three other juveniles on social media and the details of those conversations are part of this ongoing investigation.
There is no additional information available to release at this time.
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