16 arrested in undercover North Texas sex sting, including attorney

James Hice James Hice Photo: Courtesy Cleburne Times-Review Photo: Courtesy Cleburne Times-Review Image 1 of / 56 Caption Close 16 arrested in undercover North Texas sex sting, including attorney 1 / 56 Back to Gallery

A 67-year-old North Texas attorney told an undercover police officer he believed was a 14-year-old girl that she couldn't get pregnant by having sex with him because he "fires blanks."

James Clinton Hice was one of 16 men arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor after about 20 officers posed as teenage girls on social media sites this week and arranged meetings with the men in Johnson County, about 25 miles south of Fort Worth.

Hice, who is listed as an attorney for a warranty and customer support company based in Colleyville, told the officer he believed was a 14-year-old girl that "as long as your (sic) not a cop nor affiliated with them and want to give me some that's fine with me," according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Cleburne Times Review.

Hice brought a print out of the explicit conversations he had with the "girl" to a location he believed he was meeting her, but was instead arrested.

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Adam King, a special crimes unit commander in Johnson County, said in a phone interview with the San Antonio Express-News that he has "no idea" why he brought the print outs, but that "he's glad he did."

"It was very strange," he said. "It basically eliminates any doubt that he was the one having the conversations."

The company Hice works for, McCusker & Co., did not return a request for comment and a phone number listed on their site has been disconnected.

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Undercover officers set up meetings with each of the 16 suspects at various parks and other locations in Johnson County. Instead of meeting the teenage girls they believed they had been interacting with, the suspects were "shocked" to be met by officers who arrested them, King said.

"All of (the online conversations) were very disturbing and very explicit in what they wanted to do to do these children," King said.

Most of the alleged offenders had their bond set at $20,000, but others were charged with additional crimes including unlawful carrying of a weapon, possession of methamphetamine and marijuana.

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Jonathan Kent Leever, 30, of Tarrant County, was arrested and the Cleburne Times Review reported he is also a registered sex offender.

Alexand Dean Pittsinger, 21, of Mansfield, asked one of the officers who he believed was a 15-year-old girl whether she was a virgin, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Cleburne newspaper.

“Because I want to give you the best experience you’ve ever had,” Pittsinger wrote online, according to the affidavit. "I want us to make love like you’ve never gotten to before with an older more experienced guy.”

Officers arrested Pittsinger at the scene with condoms and a cell phone.

The sting, a joint law enforcement operation, ran from Monday to Thursday. King refused to provide the online forums undercover officers used because the agency is still looking for more predators.

“This was a good feeling,” King said. “To get 16 guys who were out to try to rape young girls off the street.”

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Twitter: @KoltenParker