Former Harris County deputy charged in teen sexual assault case

Nicholas Burbridge, a 34-year-old former Harris County sheriff’s deputy, was arrested Monday night and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 after court records say he met a 13-year-old girl through a dating app. Prosecutors allege Burbridge picked up the girl earlier this year and assaulted her multiple times at his Tomball-area home, and CW39 reported that he also offered her edibles.

KHOU reported that Burbridge has since posted bonds totaling $165,000. He also faces a separate solicitation-of-prostitution charge tied to another incident. Court records show a hearing on the misdemeanor charge was set for October, and no trial date had been set.

Burbridge’s status as a law-enforcement officer makes the case especially consequential in Harris County. Harris County Sheriff’s Office records show he worked for the agency since 2020, and CW39 reported that he was fired in March 2026. The records tied to the case identify his tenure and firing, but do not detail any earlier complaints or disciplinary findings.

The allegations place the sheriff’s office, and the broader county justice system, in a position where public trust depends on how thoroughly agencies vet deputies and respond when conduct outside the job raises alarms. In this case, the charge comes after Burbridge had already been terminated, leaving investigators and prosecutors to sort through allegations that span both a child-sex-assault case and a separate prostitution-related misdemeanor.