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Joey Lamar Ellis in court
Joey Lamar Ellis now faces one sexual assault charge and two charges of official oppression for multiple incidents that took place earlier this year in Houston
A former Houston park ranger was back in court on Monday to face additional charges that he used his position of authority to rob and sexually assault gay men.
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Joey Lamar Ellis, 33, now faces one sexual assault charge and two charges of official oppression for multiple incidents that took place earlier this year in Houston’s Cullen Park. Prosecutors charge Ellis found men in the park after hours, forced them to strip, robbed and sexually assaulted them, and coerced them into luring other gay men to the area for similar attacks.
“We had one charge, and that was with one complainant,” Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Smith told local ABC affiliate KTRK on Monday. “Since then, we’ve had additional victims come forward.”
Ellis was taken into custody on June 11 by Houston police responding to a reported robbery around 3 a.m. in Cullen Park.
Joshua Beede told police he was sleeping in his car in the park when Ellis knocked on his window. He said the former park ranger was driving a truck with official lights and wearing his ranger uniform. He said Ellis made it seem he had a gun in his pocket.
Ellis reportedly forced Beede to make false confessions on video, strip naked, and agree to use a dating app to lure other potential victims to the park. Ellis also allegedly robbed Beede of $120. Beede was eventually able to escape from Ellis and call the police.
Police reportedly discovered Ellis with a gun in his possession, and he was taken into custody.
Another reported victim said Ellis robbed him in April in Cullen Park. The unnamed man said Ellis pulled down his pants and threatened him with jail unless he did one of two things.
“He told me you can suck this you-know-what or you can pay me,” the alleged victim told local NBC affiliate KPRC in June.
The victim opted to pay Ellis $260.
The victim claimed he encountered Ellis a few weeks later. When Ellis tried to extort sex again, the victim said he drove up the curb and was only able to escape Ellis after a brief but frightening car chase.
The victim reported the incidents to police after learning of Ellis’s arrest in June.
“I just left it alone, but then somebody else spoke up, so I just hope that others will speak up,” the unnamed man said.
Smith believes there are additional victims and echoed the man’s hope they will work up the courage to report their stories to the police.
“He’s showing up at these parks where he’s not assigned to work,” Smith said. “But he’s showing up to these other locations where he’ll find a single male or maybe two males, approach them, and coerce them into either performing a sexual act or giving him money.”
