Tony Yocham, Texas Police Chief, Arrested & Accused of Child Abuse

Tony Yocham, a former-Texas police chief was arrested by Texas Rangers on Saturday, September 12, and charged with a count of “continuous sexual abuse of a child,” local news station KWTX-10 reported.

Hamilton Mayor Jim McInnis said on Monday, “We were shocked,” describing the accusations against Yocham as “something we never anticipated,” KWTX-10 reported.

The 56-year-old Yocham started his tenure as police chief in January of 2019, according to the Glen Rose Reporter.

Hamilton Was the Chief of a Small Police Force in Hamilton

According to KWTX-10, Yocham is being accused of committing his crimes in the county of Somerville, where he lives. Texas Rangers had been investigating Yocham before his arrest. Ironically, during an interview with the Glen Rose Reporter, he said that some of the types of cases he worked were related to child abuse.

According to KWTX-10, Yocham was fired and Rene Silva, a police officer from Hamilton, took over as interim sheriff. Yocham was released from Johnson County Jail on a $500,000 bond, KXXV reported.

Hamilton County, according to the Glen Rose Reporter, only has a small police force with only 10 officers; one female in the police academy is expected to graduate in June.

Months before the accusations, Yocham lost — 1,800 to 540 votes — during his Republican primary race to be the party’s nominee for sheriff, KWTX-10 reported.

Yocham Touted His Prior Experience During His Sheriff Race

According to the Glen Rose Reporter, Yocham was born in Basin, Wyoming and graduated high school in 1982; six years later, he joined the police academy in 1988.

According to a Q & A interview, Yocham said that he spent time as an investigations lieutenant, international police trainer, assistant commander and undercover officer. He also said that he worked in Iraq and Kosovo as a contractor for the Department of Defense and State Department. Here’s an excerpt from that interview:

Besides my extensive training, knowledge and background, I am a good listener. I continually have people come into my office to either ask about a specific case or make a complaint about a situation or case. I believe that as an Administrator, you have to be able to listen to people and hear them out. You have to be available to the citizens and address their complaints.

I am also a person who uses good common sense and logic. You have to look at the situation as a whole and be able to use good judgement in Law Enforcement. I have a vested interest in Somervell County and the citizens that reside there. I have three kids who go to school in the Glen Rose ISD and just like everyone else, I want the drugs and criminals out of our community. I have the knowledge and background to do it.

Yocham has five children with his wife, who is a special education teacher, according to the Austin American-Statesman. During his campaign for sheriff, he focused heavily on his record investigating the Narcotics Departments and drugs, according to the Statesman.

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