HOUSTON – A Houston man has been arrested and charged after allegedly sexually assaulting an 8-year-old boy inside a restroom at NRG Stadium during a Houston Texans game, according to court records and a civil lawsuit.
Ushay Nixon is charged with indecency with a child by exposure and attempted aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14.
His bonds were set at $150,000 and $50,000, respectively. He remains held in the Harris County Jail.
Tuesday afternoon, HPD released new surveillance images of the area where the incident occurred, as well as the suspect’s mugshot.
“See something, say something,” the post from HPD read.
According to police reports, the incident happened during the Texans vs. Arizona Cardinals game on Dec. 14. The child attended the game with his parents and was escorted by his mom to the men’s restroom where she waited outside.
The child later told investigators that after using the restroom, a man wearing a purple shirt, later identified as Nixon, approached him and claimed to be an employee. The child said he followed the man’s instructions because he believed he was a stadium worker.
The child’s mother told KPRC 2 News’ Rilwan Balogun the same account, saying her son trusted the man because of his apparent role at the stadium.
“He said he was washing his hands and that an employee approached him and told him to go into a stall,” she said. “And my son said, ‘I trusted him because he was a worker.’”
Once inside a restroom stall, the man allegedly locked the door and removed the child’s pants and underwear. The child told police that when he became frightened and no longer trusted the man, he pushed past him, unlocked the stall door, and ran out of the restroom.
When the child exited the restroom, his mother noticed him adjusting his clothing.
As the family returned to their seats, a bystander approached the mother and said he had seen her son with an adult in the restroom and that the interaction “didn’t look right,” according to the lawsuit.
After being asked what happened, the child told his parents, “a man pulled my pants down.”
The parents, whose faces are not being shown to protect their child’s identity, say the emotional toll has been overwhelming. “I feel I failed,” the child’s dad said. “I know there was nothing else I could do. I did everything that you think is right, but you’re supposed to protect your children and that day I failed.”
According to the police report, Nixon was later interviewed by investigators where he told officers he was working at NRG that day cleaning restrooms and had been employed by Aramark at the stadium since last year.
Nixon acknowledged encountering the 8-year-old boy in the men’s restroom but denied assaulting him. He told investigators he asked the child if he wanted to see his Pokémon card collection on his phone, and said that when he reached into his pocket to retrieve the phone, the child became scared and ran away.
Nixon reportedly told police the boy believed Nixon was going to “touch him” and that he “knew he was in trouble,” according to the report.
Court records show Nixon had previously been charged with indecency with a child by exposure and indecent assault, a history the family says should have prevented him from being hired.
“How did the company not catch it?” the child’s dad said. “I mean, you can look all this up, public record.”
In addition to the criminal charges, a civil lawsuit has been filed against Ushay Nixon, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services of Texas LLC, and ASM Global Parent Inc., which manages NRG Park.
The lawsuit alleges that Nixon had a documented history of sexual misconduct, including prior charges in Harris County, before being hired by Aramark.
Anna Greenberg, an attorney representing the family, said the lawsuit seeks compensation for the lasting harm caused to the child.
“He’s already been severely impacted by this assault, and it is an assault,” Greenberg said. “We’re seeking compensatory damages for what’s happened to him, the mental anguish that he has suffered so far and will likely continue to suffer into the future.”
Greenberg also questioned how Nixon was allowed to work in a position with access to children.
“Aramark needs to really take a hard look at how this happened,” she said. “Why on earth would we allow an accused pedophile to work restroom duty at NRG? Why would we let a serial predator be hired to work at a large venue like this?”
The family is also asking for help identifying the Good Samaritan who alerted the mother after witnessing the interaction in the restroom.
“We would love to thank him,” the child’s mom said. “It’s because of him, 100 percent, that the individual was identified and police were able to get there so soon.”
In a statement, Aramark said, “We are aware of this very disturbing situation. The person in question is no longer employed with our organization, and we are fully cooperating with the authorities on their investigation.”
Authorities are asking anyone with information on this case to contact the HPD Special Victims Unit at 713-830-3263.