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Texas DPS Intelligence And Counterterrorism Chief Fired After Arrest On Sexual Assault Charge

Jacob Villanueva
/
The Texas Tribune

A top official at the Texas Department of Public Safety has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, according to Travis County court records. He was fired the same day.

John Jones, who led the agency’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division, was arrested by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and booked into jail Tuesday night. In an arrest affidavit, Jones is accused of raping a woman who attended a party at his house on July 20.

The woman told law enforcement that Jones had been drinking heavily and offered to let her ride his ATV, according to the affidavit. When they were driving, Jones took control and rode to a secluded spot, where she said he raped her before taking her back to his house, the affidavit says.

The woman later went to the emergency room to have a sexual assault forensic exam, according to the report.

DPS said in a statement Wednesday that Jones was terminated.

"The department takes allegations like this very seriously, and the Texas Rangers are working closely with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading this investigation," the statement said.

The Texas Tribune provided this story.

Jolie McCullough develops data interactives and news apps and reports on criminal justice issues for the Texas Tribune. She came to the Tribune in early 2015 from the Albuquerque Journal, where her work as a web designer and developer earned her national recognition. She was at the Journal for four years and specialized in interactive maps and data-driven special projects. She is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication; while there, she interned as a reporter and online producer at the Arizona Republic and served as the web editor of the student-run newspaper, the State Press.