Athens mayor arrested Thursday for online solicitation of minor

ATHENS, Texas (KLTV) - On Thursday, the mayor of Athens was arrested by Longview police.

According to judicial records, Mayor James Monte Montgomery, 63, of Athens, was booked into the Gregg County Jail. He was arrested by Longview police for online solicitation of a minor/sexual conduct.

His bond was set at $300,000 with conditions which were not stated. He bonded out a short time later.

Montgomery, according to previous interviews with a local paper during his campaign, owns a construction business and was born and raised in Athens. Before his time as mayor, he was a member of city council.

The City of Athens released the following statement on Facebook Friday morning:

We were shocked to learn yesterday of Mr. Montgomery’s arrest in Longview.

These are very serious allegations and the City of Athens does not take them lightly. We are committed to the protection and safety of our children. The City Council will be considering all possible actions as details become available.

As this is a Longview Police Department investigation, we have no information beyond what has been reported by the news media.