Carl James Hegert, one of Texas’ ten most wanted sex offenders, was arrested in Houston on February 18, 2026.
DPS Special Agents, DPS Troopers from the Texas Anti-Gang (TAG)—Violent Crimes Unit, and the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force apprehended Hegert, a 40-year-old Pacific Islander male, at an apartment complex, according to a press release from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Hegert has been convicted of several charges since 2006, including firearm theft, sexual assault on a child, and refusal to register as a sex offender. He was freed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in January 2025.
Hegert has been wanted since October 2025 for larceny in Waller County and failure to meet sex offender registration requirements in San Jacinto County.
Despite being on the Texas Ten Most Wanted list, his capture was not the result of a tip to Texas Crime Stoppers, and no reward will be granted, according to the department.








