Longview optometrist charged with online solicitation of minor

LONGVIEW – Our news partners at KETK report an optometrist’s arrest documents reveal he sent inappropriate photos to a minor living across the country and was taken into custody while at his Longview office. 51-year-old August Michael Wallace, a licensed Longview optometrist per the Texas Optometry Board, was charged with online solicitation of a minor and is currently behind bars at the Gregg County Jail. According to Wallace’s arrest documents, Homeland Security spoke to the Longview Police Department on Sept. 30 and handed over evidence pertaining to a Texas man who sent a 16-year-old photos of his genitalia and description of sexual acts he wanted to do to the minor.

The teenage girl told police in April that a mutual friend introduced her to Wallace online mid-2023 and she believed he was a Texas doctor. The documents said Wallace knew the girl’s address and sent her packages.

The affidavit said the minor got scared when Wallace made statements about going to her New Jersey house and she provided police screenshots of photos of his face and penis that he sent her.

Detectives traced back Wallace’s address, phone number and email from the package delivered to the teenager’s house in Nov. 2023.

Beginning in June, the affidavit said detectives posed as the teenager and continued to communicate with Wallace. Until detectives stopped in September, more evidence was gathered that included inappropriate pictures and a video that he sent to who he believed was the minor.

The arrest documents said after the detectives stopped communicating, Wallace sent another package to the minor’s New Jersey home on Oct. 7 with the return address of his business.

According to documents, the warrant was executed at 8:15 a.m. on Oct. 10 at the eye care center where he practiced optometry.

Wallace was charged with online solicitation of a minor and is being held at the Gregg County Jail on a $150,000 bond.