Texas authorities have ramped up the search for a convicted child sex offender who vanished earlier this year, increasing the reward for his capture to $6,000 through the end of August.
Carlos Jose Ayala Morales, 44, has been elevated to “Featured Fugitive” status by the Texas Department of Public Safety after he allegedly attempted to indecently touch a child in February — less than a year after being released from prison for similar offenses. The Houston man is now the subject of an intensified manhunt that spans multiple law enforcement agencies.
A Disturbing Pattern
This isn’t Ayala Morales’ first time on the wrong side of the law. In 2018, he was convicted of multiple counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact involving two 14-year-old girls and one 12-year-old girl, plus indecency with a child by exposure following an incident with an 8-year-old girl. These crimes earned him a seven-year prison sentence, which he served concurrently for each offense.
After his release from a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility in 2024, Ayala Morales was legally required to register as a sex offender. He didn’t. What happened? A bureaucratic slip-up apparently allowed him to fall through the cracks.
“I’ve handled lots of failures to register cases. I’ve never seen anything like this,” said sex crimes attorney Neal Davis, who noted that a breakdown in communication between TDCJ and local law enforcement apparently led to Ayala Morales remaining unregistered.
The consequences were swift and devastating. Just eleven months after his release, authorities allege Ayala Morales committed another sexual offense — this time involving a 7-year-old girl.
The Manhunt
Law enforcement officials describe Ayala Morales as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 250 pounds, with distinctive tattoos on his abdomen, back, right hand, and both arms. Authorities warn the public not to approach him, as he is considered armed and dangerous.
The $6,000 reward is part of Texas DPS’s broader fugitive apprehension strategy that has shown significant results this year. So far in 2025, DPS and partner agencies have arrested 44 individuals from Texas’s 10 Most Wanted lists, including 15 sex offenders and 12 criminal illegal immigrants. These arrests have resulted in $34,000 in reward money being paid to anonymous tipsters whose information led to captures.
How to Help
Want to submit information that could lead to Ayala Morales’ arrest? There are three ways to do so anonymously:
Citizens can call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), submit a web tip through the DPS website, or provide information via the Texas 10 Most Wanted Facebook page. All tipsters remain anonymous and are assigned a tip number rather than using their name, making it safe to come forward with information.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about sex offender monitoring and registration systems in Texas. Despite sophisticated tracking mechanisms, the communication breakdown that allowed Ayala Morales to avoid registration raises questions about potential gaps in public safety protocols.
As the search continues, authorities emphasize that time is of the essence. The increased reward is available only through August, creating added incentive for anyone with knowledge of Ayala Morales’ whereabouts to come forward now.
