The mayor of a small Texas town was arrested by Dallas police Tuesday on felony charges of soliciting a child online, authorities said.
Matthew McIlravy, 42, the mayor of Pilot Point, was charged Tuesday with solicitation of a child younger than 14, police said. He was booked in the Dallas County jail on the second-degree felony charge.
“This ongoing investigation revealed other communications with minors who have not been identified at this time,” Dallas Police said in a tweet.
Police said arrest was made with the help of the U.S. Marshals Task Force, Collin County District Attorney’s office, and the Dallas Police Department’s Drone Unit.
McIlravy, who was only elected mayor last month, wast arrested June 21 following a five-month undercover operation by Dallas police. Authorities did not reveal any details about the alleged other communications with children.
#Breaking Sources tell me the mayor of Pilot Point in Denton County has been arrested for online solicitation of a child, a second degree felony. Matt McIlravy was apprehended as a result of an a Dallas Police undercover operation. He was elected in May. He is also a teacher pic.twitter.com/HegbwRvRVq
— J.D. Miles (@jdmiles11) June 21, 2022
The investigation was carried out by the Dallas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit, the lead agency in the North Texas ICAC Task Force.
Pilot Point City Manager Britt Lusk told CBS11 that law enforcement executed the warrant against McIlravy at City Hall.
McIlravy is a married father of two sons and works as a design engineer, according to a Pilot Point goverment profile that appeared to be taken down early Wednesday. It also said he is a man’s prayer meeting leader and that his wife is a schoolteacher. His political affiliation was not known.
On the Facebook page for McIlravy for Mayor, the campaign boasted of the candidate’s hard work and integrity.
“He will work for the community members and staff. He has integrity, service, and involvement to the community of Pilot Point,” the campaign pledged.
Pilot Point is a city of just over 4,000 in Denton County, about 55 miles north of Dallas.