Retired Air Force general accused of child sex abuse after traffic stop, TX cops say

A retired U.S. Air Force general was arrested on child sexual abuse charges following a traffic stop in North Texas, news outlets report.

On May 11, a deputy with the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation near Sulphur Springs, KSST reported. The driver of that vehicle was former general Mike Houston McClendon.

During the stop, the deputy learned McClendon was a person of interest in a sexual assault investigation, and he agreed to drive to the sheriff’s office for questioning.

However, at the end of the interview, the 69-year-old was arrested on a charge of continuous sexual assault of a child under the age of 14, KYTX reported.

According to court documents, the alleged assault happened more than a decade ago, on Jan. 1, 2014, the station reported.

McClendon was booked into the Hopkins County jail but was released after paying a $100,000 bond, EastTexasRadio reported.

McClatchy News reached out to the Air Force for comment on May 14 but did not immediately receive a response.

McClendon graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1975 and spent more than 10,000 hours in the cockpits of over 35 different aircraft during his career, according to a biography on the USAF’s website. Before achieving the rank of Brigadier General, he also served as a test pilot and oversaw “a highly classified special program.”

Sulphur Springs is a roughly 110-mile drive northeast from Fort Worth.

This story was originally published May 14, 2024 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Retired Air Force general accused of child sex abuse after traffic stop, TX cops say."