Former Texas park ranger charged with luring and sexually assaulting gay men

A former Texas park ranger has been indicted on 20 charges related to his alleged use of his position to rob and sexually assault gay men.

Joey Lamar Ellis, 34, was indicted last week on the charges, which include sexual assault and official oppression. Ellis is accused of finding men after hours in the park he worked at, Houston’s Cullen Park, forcing them to strip, robbing, and sexually assaulting them, as well as coercing them into luring other gay men to the area through dating apps for similar attacks, according to the Attorney's Office.

Ellis would allegedly position his city-issued vehicle behind the victims’ vehicles to prevent them from leaving, often confiscating their driver’s licenses and/or cell phones under the threat of arrest or their vehicle being towed. He is accused of using his firearm to threaten his victims in multiple instances.

From some victims he demanded money, others he is accused of assaulting and demanding sexual acts, such as one victim who said they were groped, another who was forced to strip, and another who was sexually assaulted. He was taken into custody on June 11 when one victim escaped and called police responded to the park around 3 a.m.

The victim told police he was sleeping in his car in the park when Ellis knocked on his window, and that the former park ranger was driving a truck with official lights and wearing his uniform. He also said Ellis acted as if he had a firearm. The victim accused Ellis of robbing him of $120 before forcing him to make false confessions on video, strip naked, and agree to use a dating app to lure another victim to the park.

Another reported victim said Ellis robbed him in April in Cullen Park. Ellis allegedly pulled down his pants and threatened him with jail unless he performed oral sex on him or paid him. The victim opted to pay $260, but later encountered Ellis a few weeks after the initial incident, and that he was only able to escape the second time after a brief but frightening car chase.

Ellis, who began working for the city in 2019, is believed to have targeted victims for years before he was caught. The case has motivated other victims to come forward, which prosecutor Kimberly Smith encouraged.

"It’s a relief that these people are seeing this on the news, they’re seeing other victims come forward, which then gives them the courage to come forward," she said.

If you believe you have been a victim or know someone who has, please fill out a quick this quick Seeking Victims online FBI form or contact the FBI Houston Field Office at 713-693-5000. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, theNational Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 with free and confidential services. More resources are availablehere.