Jeff Duran has been charged with four counts of soliciting minors online after an undercover investigation by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety. The former child star remains in Wichita County Jail, Texas, until his bail settlement of $300,000.
Jeff became popular after making appearances in The Wonder Years in 1989 and 1990, after which he starred in Step by Step and The Twilight Zone. He then pursued a career in radio and as a standup comedian with the moniker J.J. Star.
Jeff Duran arrested for soliciting a minor
A special agent gathered evidence against Jeff after posing as a 14-year-old girl seeking an older partner in Texas. A man claiming to be 38 in the Discord chatroom showed interest, noting that they have never dated younger but would love to try.
The older male— who happened to be Jeff, followed up with sexual text and explicit photos. He also asked questions about the teen’s experience, noting that he had a 17-year-old daughter himself. He tried arranging a meeting in Texas with the undercover agent, promising to provide whatever they wanted.
The subpoena sent to the chatting platform exposed the user as Jeff via a Cash App account. Further findings revealed that Jeff had many similar conversations with minors in the past.
It is not confirmed whether Jeff fell for the setup and traveled to Texas; however, he is being held for the second-degree felony offense, which he filed against. Jeff deemed his arrest unlawful through a writ of habeas corpus filing, which was ultimately rejected last Friday.