Texas Firefighters Charged With Sexually Abusing 16‑Year‑Old Junior Volunteer
Court documents in Grayson County, Texas, say at least three firefighters affiliated with the Howe Fire Department were arrested Thursday on multiple felony counts tied to the alleged sexual abuse of the same 16‑year‑old junior firefighter beginning in early 2022. The men — David Yosimar Perez‑Glass, Dalton Joe McCaslin and Joshua Todd Ryals — are charged with sexual assault of a child or indecency with a child involving sexual contact, with investigators alleging repeated assaults by Perez‑Glass over about a year, a separate sexual relationship between McCaslin and the teen, and inappropriate contact by Ryals at the Howe fire station. The complaint says Perez‑Glass allegedly began harassing the girl within her first month at the department, escalating to more than 20 alleged oral assaults and fewer than 10 incidents of intercourse, backed by threats to rape or kill her and harm her parents if she reported him, and that he lost interest once she turned 17. During the alleged abuse period, Perez‑Glass was reportedly named Firefighter of the Year and promoted to lieutenant, while Ryals later moved to the Melissa Fire Department, where he was honored as Paramedic of the Year just days before resigning and being arrested. Texas Rangers led the investigation and all three men were booked into the Grayson County Jail, a case already fueling local debate over how rigorously fire departments vet, supervise and segregate adult staff from minors in junior‑firefighter and cadet programs.
📌 Key Facts
- Three firefighters linked to the Howe Fire Department — David Yosimar Perez‑Glass, Dalton Joe McCaslin and Joshua Todd Ryals — were arrested Thursday in Grayson County, Texas.
- Perez‑Glass and McCaslin each face three counts of sexual assault of a child, while Ryals faces two counts of indecency with a child involving sexual contact.
- The alleged victim is a 16‑year‑old junior firefighter who began volunteering in January 2022; Perez‑Glass is accused of more than 20 oral assaults and fewer than 10 instances of intercourse over a year, accompanied by violent threats.
- Ryals had recently been honored as Paramedic of the Year by the Melissa Fire Department on March 16 before resigning and then being arrested.
- Texas Rangers conducted the investigation, and all three suspects were booked into the Grayson County Jail.
📊 Relevant Data
Approximately 9% of firefighters in the United States are female, according to the 2020 US Fire Department Profile.
About Us — Women in Fire — Women in Fire
In a 2019 study of women in the fire service, 37.4% reported experiencing sexual advances and 5.1% reported assaults.
93.6% of sexual abuse offenders sentenced in federal cases in FY21 were men, with racial breakdowns of 57.5% White, 16.1% Black, 12.1% Hispanic, 9.7% Native American, and 4.6% Other.
Quick Facts on Sexual Abuse Offenses — U.S. Sentencing Commission
In the US, 1 in 9 girls and 1 in 20 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault.
Statistics: Children & Teens — RAINN
In a 2025 study, when victims were aged 14–17, male victims yielded a median minimum sentence of 30 years for offenders, twice that for female victims (15 years), indicating disparities based on victim gender.
Bias in Sentencing Men for Sexual Offenses Against Minors — PMC
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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