(WBAP/KLIF) — An Abilene federal jury convicted the former Anson City Manager of attempting have sex with a minor.
U.S. District Attorney Ryan Raybould says 64-year-old Ervin Joe Campbell was convicted after a one-day trial of one count of attempted enticement of a minor.
Campbell was arrested after arranging to meet two teenage girls for sex in an online chat, which turned out to be a texas law enforcement sting operation.
Homeland Security Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard says protecting children from sexual predators is a top priority for the agency. According to evidence presented at trial, several federal, state and local law enforcement agencies worked together to conduct an undercover chat operation in Abilene, Texas, targeting the solicitation of prostitution and child predators. During the operation, a sergeant with the Texas Attorney General’s Office posed as minors, aged fifteen and sixteen, via an undercover online account. The advertisement posted on Facebook Marketplace was listed as “Massage and Fun.”
The 64-year-old is set for sentencing on September 17th and faces a minimum of 10 to life in federal prison.
(Copyright 2026 WBAP/KLIF Newsroom News. All rights reserved.)
