PARIS, TX – A Texas man is in custody after allegedly posing as a Child Protective Services (CPS) worker to gain access to children, according to local authorities.
Gerald Don Miller, 56, faces three counts of impersonating a public servant and one count of sexual assault. He is currently held in the Hopkins County Jail with a $300,000 bond.
The incident came to light on June 18 when the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office received a report about a man pretending to be a CPS worker. The suspect reportedly convinced a child’s parents that he needed to speak with their child, thus gaining access. The family provided a description of both the suspect and his vehicle to detectives.
Further investigation revealed a similar case in Sulphur Springs, Texas, from November. The descriptions of the suspect and vehicle matched those from the Lamar County incident. On June 25, the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office identified Miller as the suspect and obtained warrants for his arrest and for searching his home and vehicle.
During the search, detectives found items in Miller’s vehicle that corroborated the victim’s description from Lamar County. Additional evidence linked him to the Sulphur Springs case. Subsequently, Miller was apprehended and transferred to the Franklin County Jail.
Authorities emphasize that legitimate CPS workers carry accredited credentials and will present them before engaging with families. They urge anyone who has encountered Miller under the guise of a CPS worker to contact local law enforcement. Miller is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing around 240 pounds, with brown and white hair and a white mustache. He may have been carrying a red case bearing the Texas Department of Criminal Justice logo.
“This investigation exemplifies how inter-agency cooperation can effectively solve cases,” said Lamar County Sheriff Scott Cass. “Thanks to these efforts, another criminal has been removed from our streets and neighborhoods.”
The investigation is ongoing.