Harris County court in Texas charged a former Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District substitute teacher with online solicitation of a minor on Oct. 16, over a year after his alleged sexually explicit text messages to a teenage girl. The student’s mother reported him.
According to ABC13, Joshua Hockless, 25, appeared in court on Monday. Hockless was released on a $40,000 bond. The conditions of his bond stipulate that he must have a monitoring program embedded in all his electronic devices. Prosecutors commended the girl’s trust-filled and comfortable relationship with her mother, highlighting that things could’ve gone differently had the teen not confided in her mom immediately.
“I would say that, obviously, the type of rapport and relationship this mother and daughter had is why she was comfortable going to her mother,” Assistant District Attorney Dak Choen said.
It all started in September 2022, when 25-year-old Hockless met the unnamed minor at Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District’s Edward Franklin “E.F.” Green Junior High School while substitute teaching. He followed her on Instagram and began texting her, reportedly sending her an image of him standing completely naked before a mirror. Hockless then asked for inappropriate photos in return.
The teen promptly informed her mother and the two hatched a plan to continue communication with the alleged sex offender without sending photos to augment their proof.
The mom and daughter then submitted evidence to the Baytown Police Department but were disappointed when the police department didn’t act immediately.
“Nothing happened. Months went by,” the mom said. “I contacted other agencies. I had to go to the school [and the] police department. I ended up contacting the news.”
The teen’s mother reckoned Hockless’ father being a Baytown police officer contributed to the Baytown Police Department’s inactivity, which the department denied.
ABC13 reporters started questioning Baytown police about the incident. That’s when law enforcement wanted to get a move on the matter.
Eventually, Harris County High Tech Crimes took over the case for a forensic analysis.
“She ended up going to forensics, and they did interviews with her there and led us to the charges that he has now,” the mother explained.
A disturbing element that infuriated the girl’s mother was that Pasadena Independent School District hired Hockless after the investigation commenced.
Other E.F. Green Junior School teachers were suspicious of Hockless because teenage girls would skip class to hang out in his class.
The victim’s mother was disgusted at how he’d groom the girls.
“‘I can treat you better than your parents. Let me take you shopping.’ Like, that is straight grooming. ‘I got money. I make good money. Do your parents have cameras? Can I come over?'” the mom said.
While this was Hockless’ first criminal offense, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
The victim and her mother have been kept anonymous for protection. The horrified mother explained she took action to ensure no other mother or daughter had to endure this.
She’s waiting for Hockless to become a registered sex offender to guarantee he won’t prey on another child so she could feel peace.
Choen doesn’t believe there are more victims but encourages parents to listen to their instincts and suspicions and check their teenagers’ devices.
“To the parents out there, there is nothing wrong, if you have a bad gut feeling, of going through your child’s devices. Because, as we’ve seen in other cases, this could have escalated,” Choen said.
