Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
A Texas deputy chief has been arrested in one of the most bizarre cases we have ever covered in Fire Law Blog: he is accused of hiring a man to rape a woman, telling the man that the sexual assault was part of a role-play fantasy.
According to WFAA Channel 8 News, Deputy Chief Joel Jones of the Everman Fire Department engaged Tobasia Griffiths, 30 to assault a Fort Worth woman. The arrangement was made through a “hook-up app” called Sniffies. Jones, 53, paid Griffiths $100 via Zelle. The assault took place on February 21, 2025, and was reported by the victim to the police. The men made plans to commit a second assault on February 25, 2025.
After Griffiths was apprehended, he provided the police with copies of his communications with Jones. Jones is reported to have deleted his profile on the Sniffies app. The victim denied being party to a role-play or consenting to the assault.
Jones is facing multiple criminal charges including aggravated sexual assault, criminal solicitation of aggravated sexual assault, and criminal solicitation of aggravated kidnapping. Griffiths is facing a single count of aggravated sexual assault.
Jones has been placed on administrative leave from the Everman Fire Department.
