Three Arrested for Solicitation Of A Minor In Amarillo

Amarillo has seen its share of crime. We unofficially hit 29 homicides in Amarillo in 2022. 

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This doesn’t include separate crimes including robberies, shootings, etc. It seems to be that crime is growing by leaps and bounds in our great city.  It's quite possible it is because the population of our city is growing.  

Another crime that seems to be growing in Amarillo is the solicitation of minors.  

Amarillo SVU detectives and the Proactive Criminal Enforcement unit had a sting operation on Friday, December 2nd. It was a Reverse Online Sting Operation. How this sting worked was detectives targeted online pedophiles. Officers pretended to be a 16-year-old female online. Multiple people took the bait. 

 On Friday, December 2nd, two men were arrested, Albert Haschke, a 38-year-old male, and Robert Heatly, a 41-year-old male, and on Sunday, December 4th, Michael Debose, a 52-year-old- male. All were arrested and charged with Online Solicitation of a minor. This is a 3rd Degree Felony. 

I personally cannot begin to imagine what goes through the mind of a person soliciting a minor whether it be online, in person, or by some other means. 

The solution is simple. If you are over the age of 18 years old, and you are well aware of the fact that you are talking to a person who is under the age of 18 years old, then log off, walk away or stop.

IT. IS. ILLEGAL.

Even though a lot of times, it is males getting arrested soliciting underage females, note that it isn’t just males. Other adults, 18 and older, of all sexes, races, and orientations also engage in illegal solicitations of minors.  

This needs to stop, not only does this destroy the victims, it tears apart families and communities.