July 24, a Jefferson County grand jury returned indictments against Patricia Ann Eglin, 42, of Beaumont, who was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and three counts of indecency with a child/sexual contact. Eglin is accused of trying to cover up sexual misconduct that took place between Jan. 1-7.
Additionally, Troy Fountain Howard, 51, of Beaumont was indicted in a companion case on two accounts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two accounts of indecency with a child/sexual contact.
According to the probable cause affidavit for the arrest of Eglin and Howard, three victims ages 10 and under were the subject of the original investigation, during which another young boy made an outcry of sexual abuse having occurred between Feb. 14-19.
The actor in all the alleged crimes was identified as Howard, a registered sex offender that had been living at the residence since December 2023.
All four children made outcries of sexual abuse at the hands of Howard while at Eglin’s residence, where she ran in unregistered, illicit quasi-babysitting service on occasion.
Victims stated that Howard touched them sexually and showed them pornographic videos on his cell phone.
At least one of the victims stated he told Eglin what Howard did to him and that she instructed him not to tell his mother about it.
Howard’s 22-year-old boyfriend was also interviewed and reported having slept in the living room with Howard and the children at Eglin’s residence, where he, too, was living during the time period in question. The boyfriend stated he woke to see Howard touching one of the children inappropriately while the child slept and, once Howard realized the other adult was awake, the now-indicted suspect claimed to have been checking to see if the child had urinated.
During an interview with police, Howard admitted to touching one of the children outside of their clothes to see if they had urinated. All of the allegations were made known to Howard during the interview, in which he stated, “If I did, and I don’t recall, I’m sorry for touching the kids.”
Howard said Eglin knew at the time he moved in that he was a registered sex offender, to which Eglin acknowledged as the truth, as well.
Eglin told officers that approximately 12 children were kept at her home while Howard was living there and “all the kids” told her that Howard had sexually abused them. She indicated that she found out in early January that Howard sexually abused the first three children mentioned in the indictment, and that she also received payment for watching at least some of the children.
Eglin also told officers that she told all the parents dropping kids off to her home about this information and did not allow any more children to stay. However, the investigation revealed text messages between Eglin and a victim’s mother, wherein Eglin encouraged the parent to let an outcry victim stay with overnight over a weekend, well over a month after Eglin was made aware of Howard’s sexual abuse to children in her home.
Eglin admitted that, after the child victims made outcries to her of the sexual abuse, she made no effort to report the crimes.
The probable cause affidavit further stated there was evidence to believe Howard committed aggravated sexual assault and indecency with a child on multiple children on multiple occasions, as well as probable cause to believe Eglin committed the offenses by being criminally responsible for Howard’s acts of sexual abuse, having received outcries from more than one child, making no report to law enforcement and covering for Howard by instructing children not to tell their parents.