KEY POINTS

  • Texas state trooper Kenneth Reed Jr. was arrested and charged for alleged solicitation of a prostitute
  • The officer was arrested after contacting and meeting an undercover female police officer posing as a prostitute online
  • The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed Reed retired and no longer worked for the department amid the ongoing case

Texas officials said Tuesday that a state trooper who had been charged with soliciting prostitution had announced his retirement.

The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed Monday the identity of the officer as 51-year-old Kenneth Reed Jr. He was arrested in Lubbock, Texas, on June 3, charged, and booked at the Lubbock Detention Center.

Reed posted his $750 bond for release shortly after.

The Lubbock Police Department said Reed came under investigation after responding to an online ad from an undercover female officer with the department’s Special Operations Vice Unit. The pair communicated back and forth for a short period before Reed agreed to meet with the officer.

Police said Reed agreed to pay for sex with the undercover officer after arriving and was promptly arrested.

The Texas Department of Public Safety issued a public statement in the wake of Reed’s arrest, confirmed he had retired and condemned his actions.

“Our department takes allegations like this very seriously, and Reed was immediately suspended after his arrest,” the department said in the statement. “He has since retired and is no longer employed with the department.”

Authorities have not said when Reed is scheduled to appear in court.

Police Car
In this photo, police cars sit on Main Street in Dallas, Texas, on July 7, 2016. Laura Buckman/AFP/Getty Images
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