The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has announced the arrest of Jacob Aaron Kessler, a repeat sex offender who was on Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Kessler, aged 41, was apprehended in Houston on July 18. No Crime Stoppers reward will be issued for his capture.
Kessler was detained at a residence in Houston after an operation led by the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force. The operation included participation from the DPS Criminal Investigations Division, Texas Highway Patrol, Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Pasadena Police Department, and the Harris County Precinct 1 and 5 constables’ offices.
In 2011, Kessler was convicted for sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact involving two victims aged 15 and 8 years old. He received concurrent sentences of nine years for each offense.
Since April 2025, Kessler had been wanted in Nacogdoches County for reoffending. Warrants were issued for his arrest on charges including two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of aggravated sexual assault.
Texas Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards funded by the Governor’s Public Safety Office to individuals providing information leading to arrests from Texas’ Most Wanted lists. In 2025 alone, DPS and other agencies have arrested 40 individuals from these lists, with $28,000 paid out in rewards for tips that resulted in arrests.
Tipsters can remain anonymous when providing information through specified methods and will receive a tip number instead of using their name.
DPS works with local law enforcement to determine which fugitives are added to the Texas Most Wanted lists. Current lists are available online with photos.
