A man who worked as a youth development coach at a juvenile detention center in the Rio Grande Valley has been arrested on charges of sex with a minor.
An employee at the Evins Regional Juvenile Center in Edinburg reported an allegation against Todd Hanks, 50, on Tuesday morning, according to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
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Hanks was removed from contact with youth and suspended without pay before an interview with TJJD’s Office of the Inspector General, according to the department. He was then fired and arrested.
He was booked into the Hidalgo County Jail on charges of indecency with a child and sexual contact with a person in custody, jail records show.
“I am outraged by this incident, and we will pursue the highest possible penalties available against this former staff member,” TJJD Executive Director Camille Cain said in a news release. “This agency has zero-tolerance for any employee who preys upon or endangers the youth in our care, and we will always respond swiftly to such allegations. I am heartbroken for the youth, and we are doing everything we can to provide proper treatment and care.”
The release states that the child, whose age was not released, received medical and clinic treatment. The child’s family was notified by the department.
Hanks had been with TJJD since 2005.
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