Denton County prostitution sting: 14 arrested, including Highland Village fire chief

The Denton County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that 14 men had been arrested in a “prostitution demand suppression operation,” which included the fire chief of Highland Village.

All 14 men were arrested on charges of solicitation of prostitution, which is a state jail felony. This type of felony is usually punishable with up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Two men, including fire chief Jason Scott Collier, also face charges of resisting arrest, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

According to an arrest affidavit, Collier on June 13 contacted an Arlington police detective posing as an escort in response to an online advertisement. Collier agreed to pay $120 for sexual acts and went to a Lewisville motel after being provided the address by the detective.

Upon his arrival about 3:40 p.m., the affidavit said, Collier knocked on the door of the motel room and was greeted by several deputies. The affidavit said Collier backed away from the door and quickly moved down the hall to an exit sign before a deputy tackled him and arrested him.

Collier was released on $1,500 bond Friday.

Collier has been with the fire department since 2008 and was promoted to chief in 2022, according to a city spokesperson. Following the arrest, Collier was placed on paid administrative leave per policy and subsequently resigned Saturday, the city said.

The majority of the men arrested were from Denton County, but a few were from neighboring North Texas counties and one was from North Carolina.