San Angelo Bail Bondsman Helped Man Arrested for Lewd Images of Children on Phone

SAN ANGELO, TX — A 50-year-old San Angelo man remains behind bars Monday after being arrested following a search of Ricky Villarreal’s Bail Bond and Tax Service office in the 1100 block of N. Chadbourne St.  

According to a search warrant signed by District Judge Ben Woodward on Thursday, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division Trooper Michael Sams lead a search and seizure at the property for images of child pornography.  

Officials seized two cell phones, two laptop computers and a small baggy of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana.

Claude Kirk was arrested at 4:09 p.m. and charged with possession of child pornography.  His bail was set at $75,000.

The search was prompted by an investigation led by Abilene Police Department Cyber Crimes Unit Detective Christopher Milliom.  His investigation was based upon finding files containing 53 images and two videos of females approximately seven years of age engaging in various sex acts.  The images were linked to an IP address owned by Ricky Villarreal. 

Ricky Villarreal owns three businesses in a rather large building on N. Chadbourne St. The old building built years ago has an apartment on the south end that is separate from the rest of the business.

Villarreal, who is a devout Christian, said his heart is in a place where he felt compelled to aid Claude Kirk, a man known to Villarreal also as simply “Kelly.”

Kelly had heart trouble and was recently released from Shannon Medical Center when Villarreal took pity on the man. He said his wife had died and he’d been homeless. Villarreal admits he knew Kelly may have a drinking problem as well.

In Villarreal’s discussion, he recited the story of the Good Samaritan. “I am guilty of being one,” he said.

In a subsequent document release from the Tom Green County Clerk, the Texas DPS, who led the investigation of Kelly’s child pornography case, stated they had a confession from Kelly.

The DPS stated that Claude “Kelly” Kirk used “BitTorrent to download images and videos on KIRK'S cellular phone of children under the age of 18 years of age engaging in sexual conduct as a victim of an offense under Section 20A.02(a)(5), (6), (7), or (8)” of Texas statutes.

DPS stated that “Kirk knew the material depicts the child as described by Subsection (1 ). During the search warrant, Agents located approximately 20 files depicting Child Pornography on KIRK'S cellular phone. Agents seized four (4) items of electronic media including two laptop computers and two cellular phones, which one of the phone's was identified by KIRK as being the phone used to download Child Pornography.”

Villarreal expressed regret that the incident happened at his place of business.

No arrest warrants or search warrants point towards Villarreal as having anything to do with the offense, other than allowing the man to reside in an apartment at his place of business.

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This story was updated to include Ricky Villarreal's statement