Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender arrested in Beaumont for parole violation, failure to register

AUSTIN, Texas - One of Texas' 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders was captured on Dec. 2 in Beaumont.

Russell Scott Ford, 57, was wanted for parole violation and failure to register as a sex offender.

DPS Special Agents found Ford at a business in Beaumont. The Texas Highway Patrol provided assistance in his arrest.

Russell Scott Ford (Texas Department of Public Safety)

Ford had been wanted since March 2019, after he left his last known address in Beaumont. In 1997, Ford was convicted in Jefferson County of aggravated sexual assault of a child for an incident involving a 3-year-old boy. He received a 30-year prison sentence.

So far this year, DPS says they and other agencies have arrested 26 Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders, including 14 sex offenders and nine gang members. In addition, $40,500 in rewards have been paid for tips that have yielded arrests.

Texas Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest of one of the Texas 10 most wanted fugitives or sex offenders. Ford was not arrested as a result of a Crime Stoppers tip, so no reward will be paid, says DPS.

To be eligible for the rewards, tipsters must provide information using one of the following three methods:

• Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
• Submit a web tip through the DPS website
• Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the "SUBMIT A TIP" link (under the "About" section).

All tips are anonymous, regardless of how they are submitted.

DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive and Sex Offender lists.