‘I Love Little Boys': Affidavit details chat leading to Midland man's arrest in Predator Sting
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A Midland man is facing new felony charges following a 2024 sting operation involving civilian activists and local law enforcement.
According to an affidavit, the case originated on Nov. 23, 2024, when 22-year-old Cade Horton allegedly arrived at a planned meeting spot where he believed he would encounter an adult man and his 13-year-old son. The meeting was part of an online sting conducted by Predator Poachers, a civilian group known for targeting suspected child predators, in coordination with the Midland Police Department.
Horton was previously arrested on Nov. 23, 2024, and initially charged with possession of a controlled substance and online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct. However, court officials said new felony charges were recently filed this year after investigators issued updated warrants based on evidence collected during the original incident.
According to investigators, Horton engaged in explicit online conversations with someone he believed was a father offering access to his child. During those chats, he allegedly made graphic statements about how he intended to engage in sexual conduct with the minor.
When Horton arrived at the meeting location around 3:15 a.m., he was confronted by members of Predator Poachers and later detained by Midland police. A forensic analysis of Horton's electronic devices revealed what authorities described as a massive archive of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to the affidavit, more than 396,000 images were recovered, along with videos showing minors being bound, harmed, and sexually assaulted.
According to the affidavit, Horton also distributed CSAM online, sometimes sending it with disturbing captions.
Among the messages found were:
'You are a pedophile.'
'Embrace the animal desires inside you.'
'Repeat this loudly: I am a pedophile…I am a proud pedophile… I am not a mistake. I am what the universe made me… I am entitled to pleasure.'
'My desires are valid.'
My pedo-(vulgarity) is a gift from God.'
Other content and statements were redacted due to their graphic nature.
Investigators also cited conversations Horton allegedly had with other unidentified individuals, in which he discussed his collection. In one such message, he reportedly wrote: 'I love little boys, is that ok?'
According to the Midland County detainees page, Horton is currently being held in the Midland County Jail with a $250,000 bond and faces two second-degree felony charges: Attempted Performance by a Child and Possession with Intent to Promote child pornography.
This case remains under investigation, and no further information is available at this time.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
West Haven man charged for sending and receiving CSAM through social media, documents say
Report child sexual abuse material to law enforcement by contacting the ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or your local law enforcement agency. WEST HAVEN, Utah () — A West Haven man is facing felony charges for sending and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a social media platform. It took investigators almost a year to track him down and charge him. Andres Rafael Diaz, 36, has been charged with 11 felony charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, with one of those charges having the 'aggravated' enhancement, making it a first-degree felony instead of second-degree. He is also charged with 10 misdemeanor charges of unlawful distribution of an intimate image. Sex offender arrested for attempting to meet child in Lehi, documents say On June 28, 2024, a social media company sent a CyberTipline about an account that was uploading and distributing CSAM to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. They forwarded the tip to the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force after identifying an IP address in Utah, documents say. Since last year, several search warrants and court orders have finally led investigators to connect the account to Diaz. According to the charges, during the investigation, they received more tip lines on the same suspect, which were also confirmed to be Diaz. On June 4, 2025, ICAC executed a search warrant at Diaz's residence and made contact with him. Documents say that he admitted to owning the accounts and sending and receiving CSAM on the social media platform. He told investigators he was 'unsure how many files of CSAM he sent to other users, but that it was a lot.' Out-of-state professor accused of 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in Box Elder County Through social media, Diaz allegedly had graphic sexual conversations about underage children — including some that he knew in person — with other users. In these conversations, he also sometimes shared photos of an intimate partner, who told police they did not consent to those photos being sent to people other than Diaz. Diaz was booked into the Weber County Jail and is currently being held without bail. His initial appearance is set for Monday, June 6. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Russia launches air strikes against Ukraine Lawmakers push forward with budget bill West Haven man charged for sending and receiving CSAM through social media, documents say 17-year-old in serious condition after two-car crash Proud Boys leaders sue DOJ over Jan. 6 prosecutions Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Urbana man arrested, accused of possessing child sexual abuse material
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ill. — An Urbana man is facing charges of child pornography possession. In March of 2024, the Champaign County Sheriff's Office received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to the tip, 26-year-old Jesus Gonzalez-Martinez was in possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Decatur man accused of possessing child sex abuse material The sheriff's office conducted a 'thorough investigation,' and detectives confirmed that the material was linked to Gonzalez-Martinez. He was arrested, and police said he later confessed to possessing the material. Now, Gonzalez-Martinez is facing three counts of child pornography possession. On Thursday, he appeared in court for his arraignment, entered a plea of not guilty and requested a trial by jury. On Friday, he'll be back in court for a detention hearing. The Champaign County Sheriff's Department said that this remains an 'active and ongoing investigation.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Former Branson marketing executive pleads guilty to child pornography charge
BRANSON, Mo. — A Branson man who was formerly a businessman pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge in federal court last week. Thomas Eldon Forster, 66, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. According to federal documents, the charges came from an investigation that began in October of 2020 when social media platform Kik submitted a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that a user uploaded or shared 15 files of suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to another Kik user. Investigators determined Forster was the suspect responsible for the Kik account. In August of 2022, law enforcement with Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force executed a federal search warrant at Forster's Taney County residence. Law enforcement interviewed Forster and searched his cellphone, where they found 19 unique images depicting CSAM According to the Greene County Jail roster, Forster was booked last week. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
