A Houston Police Department sergeant who has been charged with solicitation of prostitution made an appearance in court on Wednesday.
Cesar Beltran, 57, was relieved of duty during the investigation and arrested last Wednesday. He was charged with solicitation of prostitution and booked into the Harris County Jail.
According to charging documents, Beltran agreed to pay a high-risk victim of human trafficking in exchange for sex with her as part of an ongoing arrangement.
He's also accused of negotiating to have a threesome with the victim and a member of her family. That family member is also believed to be a victim of human trafficking and Beltran allegedly knew that.
During his court appearance, a judge revoked his initial $10,000 bond and increased it to $30,000. Beltran was assigned to the Midwest Patrol Division and had been with the department since June 1998.
Elijah Rising is an organization that helps victims of sex trafficking. Last week, their communications director spoke to KHOU about the allegations against Beltran.
"In our program, we try and build trust. You can have healthy relationships, you can make connections with people. Not everyone is out to hurt you, but unfortunately, it's really hard to learn that when your trust is being continually broken by people in power," David Gamboa said.
"Being in this field of anti-trafficking, and engaging with the issue of human trafficking, unfortunately, you see the worst side of humanity, so it breaks my heart to hear that," he added.
