GRAND SALINE, Texas — A former East Texas fire department captain was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to soliciting a child online.

Patrick Rowe, who worked at the Grand Saline Fire Department before his arrest, was sentenced to eight years' community supervision after entering a guilty plea Thursday morning in the 294th District Court in Van Zandt County.

Rowe was arrested back in 2023 and charged with sexual assault of a child and the online solicitation of a minor. He was terminated as fire captain afterward, according to police and the fire department.

The victim was 15 years old at the time of the offense. He also has to register as a sex offender and will have to pay a $2,870 fine, including court costs and attorney fees, court documents show.

Through the plea, the s

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