HURST — Following a child pornography tip, police have arrested a 17-year-old male who posed as a 12-year-old child to attend a Hurst elementary school.
According to a statement released by Hurst police, 17-year-old Ricardo Javid Lugo and 28-year-old Randy Ray Weson were arrested following the tip from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Based on the lead, authorities obtained a warrant and searched a Fort Worth home, where they found "evidence of child pornography and exploitation of children."
Upon further investigation, police discovered Lugo was enrolled at Hurst Hills Elementary, where he posed as a 12 year old and attended sixth-grade classes. Police say counterfeit documents were used to enroll Lugo into the school.
According to a statement from the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District, Lugo enrolled in August. District officials say Weson posed as Lugo's father during the process.
"Hurst Hills staff followed all procedures regarding enrollment when the student was enrolled in August," read the statement. "There was no indication that the student's records were forged or that the student was too old to attend elementary school. The student's behavior at school also did not raise any concerns."
School officials contacted parents and sent letters home with students to share news of the arrests.
Police say Lugo and Weson met through a social media site. While Lugo traveled to North Texas from Mexico voluntarily, authorities say they believe the teen is an American citizen.
Weson was charged with possession of child pornography with the intent to promote, the sale/display of harmful materials and tampering with a governmental record. Lugo was charged with possession of child pornography.
Hurst police say they're concerned there may be additional unknown victims and have asked anyone with information pertaining to the crime to call 817-788-7146. They've also urged concerned parents to call as well.
Lugo's bond has been set at $250,000 and Weson's at $3 million.
