Task force arrests pair in online sting

Task force arrests pair in online sting

West Memphis man brings weed, condom to rendezvous with child

From the First Judicial District Drug Task Force

On Saturday, Oct. 20, an undercover investigation by the First Judicial District Drug Task Force resulted in the arrest of Billy Coulter, 34, of West Memphis, after he attempted to meet a child for sex in St. Francis County. Palestine PD assisted in the arrest.

Over a two week period, Billy Coulter messaged what he believed was a 15 year old female via social media and solicited her for the purpose of having sex.

After asking her age and being told she was 15 years old, Coulter asked where she lived and what she thought about 'dating' him. Coulter then offered to exchange numbers with what he thought was a 15 year old child and asked if she wanted to “chill and hang out sometime”.

Coulter asked the purported 15 year old child, “Baby when do u want to have sex; I got you some good loud,” a reference to strong marijuana. Coulter also discussed performing oral sex on the child.

At one point, Coulter asked if she wanted to meet up for sex, and when the purported child stated she had school the next morning, Coulter offered to take her from the Forrest City area to West Memphis if she could sneak out in the middle of the night. He then sent two sexually explicit photos of his genitals. Coulter told the profile Thursday night that he wanted to meet, but could not find a babysitter for his 6 year old daughter.

During the operation, Coulter told the purported child that he had marijuana to smoke and that he would pick her up, saying “Baby I seriously got a really big crush on you”. Coulter drove to a truck stop in St. Francis County to attempt to pick up a 15-year-old child for the purpose of having sex and spending the night with him.

Instead, Coulter was met by special agents with the First Judicial District Drug Task Force and officers with Palestine Police Department. A search of Coulter recovered a Magnum condom in his pocket. A search of his vehicle recovered a plastic baggie containing suspected marijuana. He was taken into custody and transported to the St. Francis County Jail where he will be arraigned next week on the charge of Internet Stalking of a Child, 5-27-306, a Class B Felony. More charges may follow.

Also arrested as part of the sting was William Long, Jr., 44, of Brinkley, targeted what he believed was a 14year-old girl for the purpose of having sex, the First Judicial Drug Task Force said. Authorities said over the course of a threeday investigation, Long discussed sexual acts and methamphetamine use with the person.

On Friday, Long drove from Brinkley, to St. Francis County to meet what he believed was a child, authorities said.

He was taken into custody by special agents with the task force and the Palestine Police Department, who also recovered a glass meth pipe from Long’s vehicle.

He is currently being held in St. Francis County Jail on felony Internet stalking

of a child.