A former professor from Washington State University, known for his strong anti-Trump views through his podcast, is in custody for allegedly grooming someone he believed to be an 11-year-old girl.
On December 17, law enforcement officials apprehended Houston Wade, 44, in Bremerton, Washington.
During a search of a hotel room that he had briefly occupied, authorities discovered condoms, bondage gear, and various adult toys.
The Bremerton Police Department shared that Wade, originally from Bainbridge Island, had arrived in Bremerton intending to meet an 11-year-old child. They indicated he had been using social media to communicate with individuals who seemed to be minors.
“The discussions turned graphic, and over numerous chats, Wade agreed to meet the child in Bremerton to act on the explicit activities they talked about,” the police stated.
Diving deeper, records revealed that Wade had begun interacting with a “decoy” posing as an 11-year-old girl back in August. Their exchanges became frequent, eventually leading to proposals for a “date,” according to reports.
Some of the messages attributed to Wade were particularly disturbing:
- “Feel free to have as much sex as you want. You don’t have to choose to send me anything if you don’t want to.”
- “Now I’ll be the little devil on your shoulder. Give in to it,” he texted, accompanied by a devil emoji.
- “We’ll go as far as you want, not to mention making out and intense petting. You don’t have to do anything more than what feels good. If you want to experience more than just your first orgasm, let me know. If not, let me know.”
- “Personally, I love seeing you feel so good that you lose control, but most women go their whole lives without knowing that it’s possible to feel that good.”
Since his arrest, Wade has been held on numerous charges, including child sexual abuse, commercial sexual abuse of a minor, and engaging with a minor for immoral purposes, according to jail documents.
Interestingly, it appears Wade has a history of legal issues, having been involved in multiple lawsuits since 2018, although the specifics of those cases remain unclear.
Despite his apparent past, he was only officially charged with attempted first-degree child sexual abuse, which is a class A felony, alongside a charge for communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
Wade is due in court on January 27.
He gained some local notoriety for his podcast, “Houston, We Have a Problem,” where he often criticized public figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk. His content includes provocations about various controversial topics.
Wade previously taught physics and astronomy part-time at Edmonds Community College from 2019 to 2022. A representative from the college expressed concern, emphasizing that the safety of their community is paramount.
