Abilene, TX – Ervin Joe Campbell, 63, the City Manager of Anson, Texas, was arrested February 26, 2026, on a federal criminal complaint charging him with attempted enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Campbell made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John R. Parker.
“The collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners took another alleged would-be predator from our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This case highlights the importance of devoting resources to unearth sex trafficking in the Northern District of Texas. We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute these cases.”
According to the federal complaint, on February 25, 2026, investigators from the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the Abilene Police Department, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office conducted an undercover operation in Abilene targeting solicitation of prostitution and child predators.
Agents posed as minors aged 15 and 16 through an undercover Facebook Marketplace account labeled “Massage and Fun.” Campbell allegedly contacted the account and agreed to pay $200 for sex with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl.
The complaint states Campbell sent a photograph of himself and stated he was 60 years old. When informed the person was 15, he replied, “I could get in trouble,” and later asked, “I’m not a cop, are you?”
Investigators then told Campbell that the 16-year-old “friend” was also available, quoting $500 for sexual intercourse with both girls. The messages exchanged between Campbell and the undercover investigator included discussions confirming the arrangement to meet for the sexual activity.
Campbell arrived at the prearranged meeting location with two condoms and $652 in cash. Officers also recovered a cellphone on which Campbell had saved the undercover investigator’s number under the contact name “15.”
If convicted, Campbell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment.
He remains in federal custody pending detention and preliminary hearings scheduled for March 3, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Parker in Abilene, Texas.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations Abilene Division, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division in Abilene, the Abilene Police Department, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney James is prosecuting the case.
Anson, located in Jones County in West Central Texas at the intersection of U.S. Highways 83/277 and 180, is approximately 24 miles north-northwest of Abilene and serves as the county seat.
