A former Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy who patrolled the Spring and unincorporated Harris County area faces a first-degree felony charge after court records allege he used a dating app to contact a 13-year-old girl, picked her up and sexually assaulted her at his Tomball home in March.

Nicholas Burbridge, 34, was arrested Tuesday, Aug. 4, and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14, according to ABC13, citing court records. HCSO confirmed to the station that Burbridge was fired March 19, two days after the alleged assault. He had worked for the department since 2020.

Court documents state the assault occurred March 17, when the victim was days away from her 14th birthday. Records allege Burbridge knew the girl was a minor, engaged in sexual conduct with her and offered to buy her edibles.

The girl's mother, who is not being identified due to the nature of the case, told ABC13 she was unable to reach her daughter for hours before finding her.

"She didn't know where she was. I was so scared. It was hard to wake her up. She couldn't walk," the mother said.

She told the station that learning the accused was a law enforcement officer made the allegations worse. "I'm furious. You're supposed to help us protect our kids," she said.

The mother added that she believes there may be additional victims.

Courtroom cleared for safety

At Burbridge's first court appearance Tuesday morning, the hearing officer ordered the courtroom cleared "for safety reasons." A bond hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 5. The outcome was pending at publication.

If released, Burbridge would face GPS monitoring, no contact with children and no unsupervised internet access, according to ABC13's reporting on expected bond conditions.

Separate solicitation charge

Burbridge also faces a charge of soliciting prostitution connected to a human trafficking investigation. Details of that case have not been made public, and the two matters appear to be separate.

Potential penalty

Under Texas Penal Code § 22.021, aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 is a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison. Probation is not an option.

In 2023, Burbridge was named HCSO "Teammate of the Week" for helping a citizen who had a seizure.

No statement from Burbridge or a defense attorney has been made public. Anyone with information about this case can contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.