A fired Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy already facing a first-degree felony charge for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl now faces a second criminal case after prosecutors allege he threatened to arrest an adult woman if she refused to have sex with him. HCSO patrols Clear Lake-area communities including Friendswood, Webster, Seabrook and Nassau Bay.
Nicholas Burbridge, 34, was charged with solicitation of prostitution in addition to the aggravated sexual assault of a child charge, KHOU reported Aug. 5. The solicitation case emerged from what authorities described as a proactive Internal Affairs human trafficking investigation at HCSO.
As we reported Aug. 5, Burbridge was arrested Aug. 4 on the child sexual assault charge, nearly five months after the alleged March 17 assault and his March 19 firing from the department.
How the second case surfaced
The adult woman told investigators about her encounters with Burbridge during the IA human trafficking probe, according to charging documents cited by KHOU. She consented to law enforcement downloading information from her phone, and investigators reviewed communications and Apple Pay records showing Burbridge paid her for sex on multiple occasions.
Prosecutors alleged at Burbridge's bond hearing that he used his badge as leverage, threatening to arrest the woman if she refused sex.
Bond and conditions
A judge set Burbridge's combined bond at $165,000 for both cases. He has posted bond and been released, court records show. Conditions include GPS monitoring, no contact with children and no unsupervised internet access.
The courtroom was cleared during Burbridge's first appearance "for safety reasons," the hearing officer said, according to ABC13.
Defense response
Burbridge's attorney argued in court that investigators never contacted his client to hear his side of the story and asked the judge to reduce the bond.
The judge declined.
What's at stake
The aggravated sexual assault of a child charge is a first-degree felony under Texas Penal Code §22.021, carrying five to 99 years or life in prison. A conviction requires lifetime sex offender registration, and a judge cannot grant straight probation.
Burbridge worked for HCSO from 2020 until his March 19 firing. The victim's mother told ABC13 on Aug. 4 that she was unable to reach her daughter for hours on the day of the alleged assault. "I'm furious. You're supposed to help us protect our kids," she said.
No trial date or next court appearance has been publicly announced. Residents with information can contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS.
