EVANSDALE – A Waterloo man has been arrested for allegedly trying to meet a girl for sex in an undercover investigation launched by an online watchdog group.
Evansdale police on Saturday arrested Gabriel Keith Usher, 46, of 1038 Riehl St., formerly of Coralville, on a charge of inciting a minor to commit sexual abuse. Bail was set at $50,000.
According to court records, the arrest came after members of Predator Poachers Southeast Texas posed as a 12-year-old schoolgirl online, and Usher allegedly made plans to meet the girl for sex.
Gabriel Keith Usher
The Houston-based group targets child abusers, often setting up meetings and then showing up with video cameras rolling. The videos are published on Instagram and YouTube.
Members of the group had been involved in online contacts posing as the girl with Usher for about three weeks using text messages and Facebook, according to court records.
People are also reading…
Records allege Usher would later admit to Evansdale police investigators that he instigated sexual conversations and sent photographs of his genitals and a video of himself masturbating knowing she was supposed to be 12 years old.
On Friday night, he allegedly planned to meet the girl to “shower, hug her, kiss her and have sex,” according to records.
Members of Predator Poachers Southeast Texas, including the group’s founder, Alex Rosen, met Usher at an apartment complex on Jones Road around 8:45 p.m. Friday.
Evansdale police were called and when they arrived, they found Rosen talking to Usher while other members of the group filmed the exchange. Usher was questioned by police.
Usher is a registered sex offender and is listed for a 2001 conviction in another state on a charge of taking indecent liberties with a child. He was 22 years old at the time.
He is currently awaiting trial in Johnson County for an October 2023 incident in Iowa City, where he allegedly attempted to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex in another sting operation. In that case, he communicated with the girl through Facebook; A police officer approached him when he arrived at Mercer Park for the meeting.
Iowa Ranks 13th in Mental Health Care Deserts
Iowa Ranks 13th in Mental Health Care Deserts
Mental health stigma is largely decreasing in the United States, allowing more people than ever to seek medical care. However, other barriers, including a shortage of mental health professionals, present ongoing problems for those who would otherwise seek help. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than 1 in 10 Americans lack adequate access to mental health care.
ADHD Advisor used data from the Health Resources and Services Administration to map and analyze the shortage of mental health providers in the United States. An area is considered underserved if it has less than 1 provider per 30,000 people or a ratio of 1 to 20,000 for high-need communities. While this analysis focuses on geographic areas with shortages, other designations may affect specific demographics or facilities such as prisons.
Lack of access to mental health care can have long-term effects in regions of the United States, including a lack of proper diagnosis or a person turning to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate. For those who are diagnosed, including those with ADHD, insufficient access to mental health care can prevent people from seeking help or managing their medications appropriately. This is particularly true in rural counties, where existing limited access to care (including long wait times and long distances to travel for care) was further disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Iowa has 55 designated geographic mental health shortage areas, covering 70 counties. Approximately 880.7 thousand residents are underserved, or 27.5% of the state’s population. Read the national analysis to learn more.
Okrasiuk // Shutterstock ‘); var s = document.createElement(‘script’); s.setAttribute(‘src’, ‘https://assets.revcontent.com/master/delivery.js’); document.body.appendChild(s); window.removeEventListener(‘scroll’, throttledRevContent); __tnt.log(‘Load review content’); } } }, 100); window.addEventListener(‘scroll’, throttledRevContent); }
Be the first to know it
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow Keynote USA Local on Twitter.