Texas DPS said undercover officers posed online as children and teens during a three-day operation.
BELTON, TX — Four Fort Hood soldiers were among 11 men arrested in Bell County after a three-day undercover operation targeting people accused of trying to solicit sex from minors online, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
The arrests place the case at the center of a joint state, local and military investigation in Central Texas. DPS said its Criminal Investigation Division and Texas Highway Patrol worked with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Bell County District Attorney’s Office. Nine men were charged with solicitation of prostitution of a person under 18 years of age, and two were charged with online solicitation of a minor.
DPS announced the arrests May 4, saying the operation focused on online contacts with people seeking sex. Investigators said all 11 suspects engaged in sexually explicit conversations with people who identified themselves as 13, 14, 15 or 16 years old. The suspects were later booked into the Bell County Jail. In a statement reported by local media, DPS said, “These suspects thought they were talking to minors. They were talking to law enforcement.” Fort Hood officials said the post was cooperating with local authorities. “Fort Hood is fully cooperating with local law enforcement,” the base said in a statement.
The four active-duty soldiers identified by the Army were Pfc. Christopher Matias, Staff Sgt. Samsus Moise Perfection St. Loth, Spc. Xavier Alexander Barreto and Staff Sgt. Ramon Antonio Rivera-Colon. DPS listed Barreto, 21, of Fort Hood; Matias, 27, of Fort Hood; St. Loth, 40, of Killeen; and Rivera-Colon, 37, of Belton, as charged with solicitation of prostitution of a person under 18 years of age. The Army said all four were assigned to Fort Hood. DPS did not release full details of the online conversations, the platforms used or the exact arrest locations. It also did not say whether investigators seized phones, computers or other digital evidence after the arrests.
The other seven men arrested were Hae-Yong Pae, 44, of Copperas Cove; Ryan Lee Howard, 32, of Buda; Joseph Andrew Paine, 37, of Temple; Omar Katrell Cherry, 45, of Belton; Dwayne Dion Sherman, 32, of Killeen; Shaun Keenan O’Hara, 38, of Gunnison, Colorado; and Tyron Lydell Williams, 55, of Killeen. DPS said Pae and Howard were charged with online solicitation of a minor. Paine, Cherry, Sherman, O’Hara and Williams were charged with solicitation of prostitution of a person under 18 years of age. Court records and attorney information were not included in the DPS announcement, and it was not immediately clear whether any of the men had entered pleas.
The operation took place in Bell County, a Central Texas county that includes Belton and parts of the communities surrounding Fort Hood. The post sits near Killeen and is one of the Army’s largest installations. It was known as Fort Cavazos after a 2023 renaming, then was redesignated Fort Hood in 2025 in honor of Col. Robert B. Hood, a World War I soldier who received the Distinguished Service Cross. The arrests drew added attention because four suspects were active-duty military members assigned to the installation. Army CID joined the operation because of the military connection, while the Bell County District Attorney’s Office is positioned to handle local prosecution decisions.
The charges listed by DPS are serious felony allegations tied to online sexual contact involving people the suspects were told were under 18. The next steps in the case could include bond hearings, grand jury review, indictment decisions and the filing of more detailed court documents. Investigators have not said whether more arrests are expected. DPS also has not said whether the operation was part of a larger statewide effort or limited to Bell County. The Army may conduct its own administrative or disciplinary review for the soldiers, separate from the civilian criminal process. Military officials did not announce any immediate personnel actions in the public statement.
The case also highlights how online undercover operations are built around decoy profiles and written communications. DPS said each suspect communicated with someone who identified as a minor before the arrests were made. The agency described the case as a human trafficking operation, though the specific charges announced were tied to online solicitation and solicitation of prostitution involving a person under 18. Local reporting showed the suspects’ booking photos released by DPS, with the men listed by name, age and city. The public details so far come mainly from the DPS announcement, the Army statement and local jail booking information referenced by news outlets.
As of May 9, the 11 men had been identified by DPS and booked into the Bell County Jail, with four active-duty soldiers among them. The next public milestone is expected to come through Bell County court filings, bond actions or further statements from DPS, Army CID or prosecutors.
Author note: Last updated May 9, 2026.