Tarrant County juvenile probation officer arrested in child sexual assault case
A Tarrant County probation officer was arrested this week after she was accused of sexually assaulting a boy inside the Lynn W. Ross Juvenile Detention Center, according to court and jail records.
Alexandria Venable, 34, faces charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and sexual contact or intercourse with a minor at a juvenile services or Texas Juvenile Justice Department facility, according to the records.
Venable was employed by the county as a juvenile probation officer, and the alleged abuse occurred in 2024, according to court records.
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare said in a statement Thursday that Venable has been fired.
“Tarrant County has terminated the employee in question,” O’Hare said. “If the allegations are proven true, punishment should be swift and severe. Tarrant County is a place of law and order, and this matter will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“A thorough review must ensue to ensure the absolute best safeguards are in place to make sure nothing like what has been alleged happens to anyone in Tarrant County custody, especially not to a juvenile,” O’Hare said. “I look forward to getting a report in short order on what is being done to make sure everything legally possible is in place to protect those in custody.”
Venable was booked at the Tarrant County Jail on Monday, Jan. 12, and her bond is set at $150,000. The Star-Telegram reached out to her appointed defense attorney, who declined comment.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, which investigated the case, referred questions to Tarrant County Juvenile Services, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the investigation.
“If anyone has information that another juvenile in custody, past or present, has been victimized, please contact the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office immediately,” O’Hare said. “This will not be tolerated in any way, shape or form.”
This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 5:29 PM.