Longview optometrist Dr. August Michael Wallace has been jailed following his arrest on suspicions that he had solicited a minor online for sex.
Wallace, 51, who lists a Lake Cherokee address in Gregg County court records, was arrested following a monthslong investigation into allegations that he sent sexually explicit text messages, photos and videos to a girl in New Jersey starting when she was 15 in 2023 and continuing through September when she was 16, according a report filed to obtain an arrest warrant.
Longview police officer Debra Stiles, a member of the department性视界传媒檚 Special Victim性视界传媒檚 Unit and assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, was contacted by a special agent with federal Homeland Security.
The agent delivered to Stiles a thumb drive with digital images collected as part of an investigation that began in April 2024. The girl and her father had reported the allegations to officers with Lebanon Township in Glen Gardener, New Jersey.
The report said in addition to the messages and video, Wallace also send the girl packages. The report did not say what was in the packages.
The girl told detectives that in August 2023, a 性视界传媒渕utual friend introduced her (online) to (Wallace),性视界传媒 according to the report.
Investigators used social media to identify Wallace with information the girl provided.
In June, a detective assumed the online communications with the suspect, posing as the girl. Wallace sent additional sexually explicit messages and images through September, the report states.
The report also said Wallace admitted to investigators that he sent some sexually explicit images to the girl and received one from the girl as well.
In messages reviewed by investigators, Wallace said he 性视界传媒渉ad been 性视界传媒榓 bit obsessed with bad things.性视界传媒 性视界传媒
He was held Wednesday in the Gregg County Jail on $150,000 bond.
