Grand Jury Indicts Temple, TX Man For Sex Assault of Online Date

This story is a scary reminder of the dangerous world we live in right now, especially when it comes to online dating.

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Meeting strangers from the internet is a common thing these days. However, you can never be too careful when you're dealing with someone you don't really know. A Central Texas woman told police she was sexually assaulted after meeting a Temple man in person that she met online, according to our news partner KWTX.

The victim told police she connected with 21-year-old Aradt Palacios of Temple, Texas on social media two weeks before the alleged assault, and had met him in person once before. She said she agreed to go to his apartment as long as he did not try anything sexual in nature, and messages exchanged between them before the incident confirmed her statement.

Sexual Assault vs Rape in Texas

In Texas, sexual assault is the term the judical system commonly uses to refer to the act of rape. When a person is arrested for suspicion of sexual assault in Texas, law enforcement officers may use the term 'rape'. However, prosecutors and judges use the term 'sexual assault'.

Sexual assault is classified as a second-degree felony. Those convicted can receive a sentence of between two and 20 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.

Resources for Sexual Assault Victims

The Texas Association Against Sexual Assault offers services such as training, education, and support. If you or someone you know needs help or information, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. The line is answered 24/7.

Texas Crime Statistics By City

Check to see how crime compares in your city versus elsewhere.

The Most Dangerous City in Texas for 2022 May Surprise You

According to FBI statistics, Texas had 438 violent crimes and 2,562 property crimes per 100,000 residents as of this year. For every 100,000 residents, there are 224 police officers statewide.

Crime rates are expressed as the number of incidents per 100,000 people.

Here are the ten most dangerous cities in Texas for 2022, according to World Population Review.

Bet You Didn't Know: 10 Bizarre Texas Laws Still on the Books

Many states still have strange laws on the books that aren’t enforced or taken seriously anymore, and Texas is no exception.

Most of these laws are just funny now, but at one time, there was a valid (or at least somewhat valid) reason for them to exist.

Texas has plenty of strange rules and regulations that you could technically be prosecuted for if you violate them, since they've never been amended. Some of these are only for specific cities and not state-wide, but all of them are pretty odd!

Let's take a look at 10 of the weirdest ones in the Lone Star State.