DALLAS - A longtime Dallas Police Department officer has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest Monday afternoon during an undercover prostitution suppression operation, authorities confirmed.
Dallas officer arrested
What we know:
Senior Corporal Zachary Helm, a 20-year veteran of the department, faces a state jail felony charge of solicitation of prostitution.
According to an arrest affidavit, the bust happened around 1:30 p.m. at the La Quinta Inn and Suites located at 2421 Walnut Hill Lane. The sting was conducted by the Dallas Police Department’s Special Investigations Division Human Trafficking Unit alongside federal partners to target the commercial sex market.
The affidavit states that an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent received a phone call from Helm responding to a decoy commercial advertisement posted on a website known to facilitate human trafficking. During the recorded conversation, Helm allegedly agreed to pay $140 to engage in sexual acts.
Dallas Police officer arrested for soliciting prostitution
A longtime Dallas Police officer was arrested this week on a prostitution solicitation charge.
Investigators said Helm demonstrated intent to complete the agreement by driving to the hotel. When he arrived and knocked on the designated hotel room door, he was immediately detained by waiting detectives. Officers confirmed his identity through his Texas driver's license and verified his phone received a confirmation call from the undercover agent's number.
Helm has been employed with the Dallas Police Department since 2006 and was assigned to the very division that spearheaded the operation—the Special Investigations Division.
Following his arrest, Helm was booked into the Dallas County Jail. Records show he bonded out of custody late Monday night. The department has placed him on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the Dallas Police Department and the arrest affidavit.