East Texas man arrested for soliciting and harboring runaways

BULLARD, Texas – A Bullard man accused of child enticement, solicitation of sexual contact and other crimes was arrested Wednesday after several children were found in a location that was not their home.

Randy Smith is accused of seducing a child, harboring a runaway, two counts of sexual abuse, witness tampering and six counts of purchasing alcohol for minors.

Bullard police arrested him Wednesday afternoon. He was booked into the Smith County Jail on a total bail of $1.475 million.

On July 25, police officers in Bullard were searching for a juvenile who had been reported as a runaway. When officers arrived at the scene, they found several juveniles on the scene, including the reported runaway, who did not live there. Officers contacted the children's parents and released them from the scene.

“Further investigation into the circumstances of the runaway revealed evidence that criminal offenses had been committed. Investigators were able to obtain enough information to execute affidavits and arrest warrants against Smith,” Bullard police said.