This interview was recorded at the Henderson County Justice Center on Wednesday, July 7.
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In this week's episode, Sheriff Botie Hillhouse covered additional charges that were added following an arrest for child pornography, new K-9 deputy Valco, and the near-miraculous restoration of the original Sheriff's Office Facebook page.
I. Stats (1:22)
At the time of this podcast, there were 417 in custody in the jail; 101 of those are out-of-county contract inmates.
We talk all the time on the podcast about the importance of out-of-county inmates because they bring revenue into the county. Sheriff Hillhouse said he is projecting that the jail will make between $1.8 and $1.9 million in 2021 through contract inmates.
II. Child Pornography (4:20)
Last week, the Sheriff's Office arrested Jose Alfaro in Athens for possessing more than 150 child pornography videos. You can read the original press release here.
Since the arrest, Alfaro has also been charged with the intent to promote child pornography. In addition, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a federal detainer on him because he is in the country illegally.
During the podcast, Sheriff Hillhouse discussed how the county has prioritized crimes against children. The Sheriff's Office has three dedicated investigators working on these types of cases.
"The statistics will show you that it is needed, unfortunately, here in Henderson County," Sheriff Hillhouse said.
III. Welcome Valco (10:18)
The newest deputy at the Sheriff's Office is K-9 Valco, who came on board this week.
Sheriff Hillhouse, who was a K-9 handler during his career, discussed the importance of the program and how much ongoing training there is between K-9 and handler.
"They pay for themselves three-fold, over and over again, they are well worth their money," he said.
Sheriff Hillhouse also pointed out the K-9 program is paid for through drug arrest forfeitures.
IV. Facebook Back! (19:13)
Sheriff Hillhouse was locked out of Henderson County Sheriff's Office Facebook page on April 6. Since then, he has tried repeatedly to restore access.
Well, the page unexpectedly reopened on July 1.
Sheriff Hillhouse invites everyone to follow the Facebook page for updates.
FOLLOW: Get updates from the Sheriff’s Office, Commissioners Court, the District Attorney, County Attorney, and all departments from your Henderson County Government.
