HOPKINS COUNTY, Texas — A retired high-ranking U.S. military officials has been arrested for alleged child sex crimes.
According to Hopkins County judicial records, Mike Houston McClendon, 69, of Sulphur Springs, was booked into the Hopkins County Jail on Saturday, May 11, for continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14. He has since been released.
According to a probable cause affidavit, a Hopkins County Sheriff's Office deputy conducted a stop on McClendon's vehicle for a traffic violation. After making contact with McClendon, he was identified as a person of interest in a sexual assault investigation.
Following the stop, the deputy asked McClendon if he would drive to the Hopkins County Sheriff's Office to speak with investigators, which he agreed to. After the interview, McClendon was arrested.
The affidavit lists the date of the offense as Jan. 1, 2014.
Hopkins County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Tanner Crump said the HCSO will release more information once the investigation is more complete.
According to McClendon's biography on the U.S. Air Force website, Ret. Brig. Gen. McCelndon is a 1975 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
"He initially flew the A-7D fighter in Tactical Air Command, and subsequently was part of the initial cadre to introduce the A-10 into U.S. Air Forces in Europe," his biography says. "From USAFE, General McClendon attended the Air Force's Experimental Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, Calif., and served as Air Force chief A-10 test pilot and Director of Flight Test. He also served as the Deputy Program Manager for a highly classified special program. This was followed by consecutive tours in Air Force research and development and in senior leadership jobs in the F-22 System Program Office, Air Force Materiel Command Headquarters Directorate of Operations, Air Force Research Laboratory and the former AFC2ISR Center. General McClendon is a senior pilot with more than 10,000 hours in more than 35 types of aircraft ranging from helicopters to fighters to transports. As a civilian, he is a captain for a major airline, flying internationally."
According to the Military Times, McClendon retired in 2009.
This is a developing story and CBS19 will update this article as more information becomes available.
