A Hardin County business owner has been released on a $600,000 bond after he was arrested and charged with child sex crimes.
According to the Hardin County Jail Booking Report, Richard Derrick Byars, 39, of Silsbee, was arrested Aug. 12 by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office for three counts of indecency with a childexposure and criminal solicitation of a minor, all third-degree felonies, and indecency with a child-sexual contact, a second-degree felony.
Byars’ total bond consisted of $200,000 for indecency with a childsexual contact and $100,000 each for the other four alleged third-degree felonies counts. Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace Charles Brewer set the bond; the accused was released Aug. 16 after posting bail with Kountze Bail Bonds.
According to the probable cause affidavit for Byars’ arrests, the alleged incident occurred at about 5 p.m. Aug. 11 at his residence on FM 92 in Hardin County.
The 16-year-old female victim reported Byars exposed his genitals to her on multiple occasions at his home. The girl stated that Byars told her he had a crush on her “for a long time” and he would wake up early so she could meet him in his shop for sex. Byars reportedly asked the girl if they could message back-and-forth on a secretive phone app, according to the affidavit.
Byars, a father of five, admitted to exposing his genitals to the girl and she exposed her right breast to him earlier in the evening, the affidavit further detailed. The alleged child sex abuser stated that he does not remember anything after that due to his intoxicated state.
Under the affidavit for indecency with a child-sexual contact, Byars stated that he allowed the girl to touch his genitals, which she did.
Byars, the owner of Twisted Performance, an automotive repair shop on FM 1122 in Silsbee, last week posted on the company’s Facebook page that the business is “temporary under new management” as of Aug. 14 and is expected to become permanent in the near future.
In an Aug. 16 post, temporary management stated, “The former owner of Twisted Performance is no longer affiliated with, or benefitting from, the business in any way. We hope you will join us in continued prayer and support for the victims and their families.”