Former Duputy Huey "Eddie" Nichols Jr Found Guilty of Indecency with Child

Former Harrison County sheriff’s deputy and ordained minister Huey “Eddie” Nichols Jr. was found guilty on Monday for two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact.

The victims in his case are his stepdaughters, who were ages 11 and 14 at the time they informed officials that Nichols had inappropriately touched their breasts, applying Udder Butter and giving them home breast exams.

The punishment phase in the trial begins today at 9 a.m.

“I can’t think of anything more damaging in our community; in our society than a police officer that chooses to break the law,” Shawn Connally, co-counsel for the state, said in closing remarks. “It’s a betrayal.”

Following the verdict, Nichols stood in the courtroom gallery embracing his wife and mother of the victims, Sharon Nichols.

Connally told jurors, despite Nichols calling the oldest victim a liar, she never changed her story.

“From the beginning of this case, back in 2011, she (the oldest) never changed her story — not once — (she says) ‘This is what goes on in this house, and I’m old enough to know, it’s wrong,’” Connally reminded them.

“She has the courage - despite the embarrassment, despite the alienation, despite everything — to come forward,” said Connally.

“Think about how this case begins,” Connally instructed jurors. “(She) comes forward, tells the school counselor, there’s some things going on in that house that’s not supposed to be going on. You heard her testify. What did she say? The defendant touched her breasts while he’s rubbing her belly on the couch, and conducts these home breast exams on a 14-year-old child…and the Udder Butter, which is what we’re asking you to convict him on.”

The assistant district attorney said to prove Nichols did it all for sexual gratification, they presented evidence of Internet searches for “hot stepdaughter” and “young, sexy daughter” found on Nichols’ computer; the searches were all conducted on his day off.

“What kind of man is going to do that kind of an Internet search?” Connally asked. “It kind of ties everything together. It shows you what’s in his state of mind. While he’s rubbing Udder Budder on his stepdaughters’ breasts, an 11 and 14 year old girl, he’s doing it for his sexual desire.”

Connally said the state presented the photos Nichols took of the victims in various states of undress to show the relationship between him and his stepdaughters.

“He developed an unnatural relationship with these little girls,” said Connally.

He asked the jury to ask themselves what was more reasonable — the defendant lying or three different girls, including the two victims and a third alleged victim in a separate case, lying about the same thing.

“When I was a kid, I remember a sermon a preacher gave, ‘Beware of false preachers, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. That is Eddie Nichols,” said Connally, quoting a biblical scripture in Matthew. “You’ve got to decide what kind of behavior we’re going to condone and what kind of behavior we’re going to condemn.

“He was never going to confess because he’s a cop and he’s a preacher, and if there’s one unforgivable sin in those professions, it’s touching a child.

“This is a about right and wrong,” said Connally.

In his closing arguments, defense attorney Vernard Solomon contended that the older step-daughter, the first to make an outcry, never liked Nichols from the beginning; thus, she concocted a story.

Regarding the photos of undress taken by Nichols, Solomon said the one with the mother and two stepdaughters mooning the camera “wasn’t done for anything other than to be funny.”

“I think that when you analyze this evidence, you might find there was some inappropriate behavior to some degree with Eddie and Sharon’s lifestyle, but the state just haven’t proved (their case),” said Solomon. “It’s just not there.

The defense attorney said the case is a misinterpretation by the authorities of what occurred. He said the victims requested the Udder Budder for a legitimate purpose, and didn’t apply it right; therefore, Nichols responded.

“Is that for sexual purposes? I don’t think so,” Solomon argued.

“They’re asking you to find him guilty of a criminal violation, but not inappropriate behavior,” he told jurors. “I’d ask you to find him not guilty, and then walk out of the courtroom with your head held high, proud of what you did.”

Both Connally and Tim Cariker, co-counsel for the state, reminded the jury that they’ve heard testimony from Nichols’ biological daughter, calling him a narcissistic (expletive); Connally read a note she wrote, calling him psycho, laughing about how he calls himself a pastor, and expressing how she doesn’t want him to be around her or her children.

“We ask you to look at the totality of the picture because when you put the totality of the picture together, we tend to see the truth,” said Cariker, displaying a photo Nichols took of the youngest victim in a state of undress.

Cariker argued that the younger victim, at one point, recanted her story after visiting the Nichols home, outside of court order, and being told by the couple that she would be the one to reunite the family.

“But, when the rubber hit the road, that little girl stood up before you, God and everybody, raised her right hand and said, ‘Eddie did touch me. He put Udder Butter on my chapped nipples, and checked me for breast cancer, and then (she) ran off the stage crying.”

“Is this somebody that’s a caring compassionate preacher, a caring compassionate parent? Or, a pervert?” Cariker asked.

Former Sergeant Edward Wise Charged with Indecency with Child

A former San Antonio police sergeant, who was fired last October for indecency with a child, hid a previous out-of-state arrest from the department, according to internal affairs paperwork.

Edward Wise, 45, was arrested last week and charged with indecency with a child by contact, connected to an April 2013 incident at a San Antonio apartment complex.

Wise is accused of groping a 12-year-old, after taking the young girl and her mother home from a west-side restaurant.

Chief William McManus fired Wise in October 2013, following a month-long investigation into the allegations.

The personnel move appeared on a city Civil Service Commission agenda as a 'double indefinite suspension.'

The internal affairs paperwork indicates Wise received the second indefinite suspension for failing to disclose a May 2008 arrest in Las Vegas, Nevada, for solicitation of prostitution.

San Antonio Police Department investigators said Wise took steps to have the misdemeanor charge dismissed and then even paid to have the record sealed by the Clark County District Attorney.

SAPD rules require officers to disclose any arrests, including the name of the arresting agency, the nature of the charges and court information related to the charge or the indictment.

Two attorneys listed in Wise's internal affairs paperwork told KENS 5 they are no longer representing Wise.

SAPD spokesman Sgt. Javier Salazar released the following statement Thursday afternoon:

Edward Wise is no longer an SAPD employee.  We conducted a thorough Internal Affairs investigation which was concluded.  Our criminal investigation remains active and we continue to work with the prosecutors with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office to assist in their processing of the case.

Wise is the second SAPD officer to be criminally charged and fired for allegations of sexual assault since November 2013.

Officer Jackie Neal was fired February 2014, after he was indicted on three felony charges connected to a traffic stop in southeast San Antonio. Neal is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in the back of his patrol cruiser while in full uniform.

Officer Calvin Aaron Jr Arrested for Sexting with Juvenile

Investigators from the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Alexandria Field Office arrested Zwolle Police Officer Calvin L. Aaron Jr., 33, of Zwolle, LA, Wednesday.

Aaron Jr. is accused of pornography involving juveniles, indecent behavior with juveniles, obstruction of justice, and malfeasance in office.

In July 2013, Louisiana State Police received information and a request from the Sabine Parish Sheriff's Office in reference to investigating alleged inappropriate conduct and behavior that was/is sexual in nature, between a Zwolle Police Officer and a juvenile.

The investigation revealed that Aaron Jr. and a female juvenile (16 yrs) were using cell phones to transmit sexually explicit and/or lewd images of each other to one another.

The investigation also revealed that Aaron Jr. had engaged in indecent behavior with the juvenile and attempted to destroy evidence of their activities after knowing that an investigation into the matter had begun.

Wednesday, Aaron Jr. was arrested and booked into the Sabine Parish Detention Center on the above listed charges.

Former Officer Alfredo Palacios Arrested for Indecency with Child

A former Pharr police officer was arrested in Port Isabel Tuesday afternoon on an outstanding warrant charging him with indecency with a child, court records show.

Alfredo Palacios turned himself in to Cameron County Precinct 1 Constable Horacio Zamora and was then taken to Justice of the Peace Benny Ochoa, who set his bond at $15,000.

Details of the case were not immediately available, but Zamora said it involves a female teenager and the offense took place in July of last year at Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island.

Palacios was terminated from his job with the Pharr Police Department last week after he was charged with indecency with a child in another case, that is, with the same female but in Hidalgo County, court records show.

Palacios was free on bond in the Hidalgo County case before being taken into custody on the new charge.

Rick Salinas, the attorney representing Palacios, said there are a number of facts in the case, in conjunction with his background as a former police officer, that will clear his client’s name.

Salinas asked Ochoa to grant Palacios a personal recognizance bond; however, the request was denied.