Multiple North Texas firefighters facing child sex abuse charges

HOWE, Texas - Multiple volunteer firefighters in Grayson County are facing child sex charges involving the same juvenile victim.

Three Howe firefighters arrested

What we know:

In May 2025, the Howe Police Department was made aware of allegations against members of the Howe Volunteer Fire Department by a juvenile female victim.

After an investigation that involved the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers officers arrested three suspects on March 26, 2026, and charged each with multiple child sex crimes. 

Two of the suspects, Dalton McCaslin and David Perez-Glass, were charged with three counts of sexual assault of a child.

The third suspect, Joshua Ryals, was charged with two counts of indecency with a child involving sexual contact.

All three were booked into the Grayson County Jail on March 26.

Affidavits detail alleged abuse

The victim said the alleged incidents dated back to 2022 when she was a junior firefighter with the Howe Volunteer Department, and she was sexually assaulted around 30 times by the three suspects.

Arrest affidavits reveal Perez-Glass forced the victim to have sex with him from Jan. 2022 to Jan. 2023 while alone at the fire station. He allegedly told the victim he would "rape her and do things to her parents" and "he would kill her" if she told anyone about the interactions.

The woman told investigators Perez-Glass no longer wanted a relationship with her when she turned 17 after she turned a "legal age."

Police interviewed McCaslin earlier in March, where he confessed to having sex with the victim when she was 17 at his apartment in Dec. 2022.

Ryals admitted to police earlier in March to inappropriately touching the victim while alone at the Howe Fire Station.

What we don't know:

Police have not revealed the name of the victim, and her name has been redacted in affidavits obtained by FOX 4.

Suspects worked at multiple other fire departments

Dig deeper:

All three suspects have been working at other fire stations across North Texas.

Perez-Glass has been employed at the Irving Fire Department since 2023. He is now on administrative leave. 

The Howe Volunteer Fire Department honored him with their Firefighter of the Year award in 2022, the same year the alleged abuse occurred.

McCaslin has worked with the Allen Fire Department for over two years. He was placed on administrative leave on March 25.

The Melissa Fire Department says Ryals resigned last week before he was arrested, where he was also recently awarded Paramedic of the Year by Melissa Fire on March 16.

The City of Howe posted an opening for Fire Chief on March 17 after the previous chief, Robert Maniet, unexpectedly resigned in February. No reason for his resignation was given.

What they're saying:

The Howe Police Department released the following statement after the three suspects were arrested:

"The City of Howe is aware of recent events related to Howe Volunteer Fire Department. The City of Howe and the Howe Police Department were made aware of serious allegations regarding inappropriate conduct involving Howe Volunteer Fire Department. No City employee was directly involved. These matters did not involve any patient. Upon learning of the allegations, there was immediate attention and response. After initial investigation by the Howe Police Department, the Texas Rangers were contacted for assistance early so that any review of the issues would be by an independent source with highly skilled investigators. The City of Howe and Howe Police Department have cooperated with an ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers. The actions of the City of Howe and the Howe Police Department were intended to stop any improper action, preserve the integrity of the investigation and to respect the privacy of those coming forward. This matter involves protected information including an ongoing criminal investigation, privacy matters, and confidential information. To protect the privacy of all parties involved and to avoid any interference with the ongoing matters, the City and Howe Police Department cannot provide further details at this time. We are committed to keeping our community informed as appropriate while adhering to legal and ethical guidelines."

TexasCrime and Public Safety