HOUSTON — Set Free Church in Houston canceled a scheduled welcome-home event for Jeremiah Busby, a convicted sex offender, which was planned for July 4, 2026. The church cited safety concerns related to children in its congregation after learning of his criminal history.

Supporters had organized the event at the church on Uvalde Road and promoted it through flyers on social media. Randy San Miguel, who organized the welcome-home event, said leaders of Set Free Church were not aware of Busby's criminal history when the event was initially booked.

Set Free Church canceled the rental and refunded the event organizer's payment. Church leaders stated that the presence of children in its congregation raised safety concerns regarding Busby, who is required to register as a sex offender following his conviction.

Busby is scheduled to be released from prison on June 30, 2026, after being granted parole. He served less than half of a 25-year sentence for online solicitation of a minor. Investigators said Busby believed he was meeting a 14-year-old girl for sex during an online child exploitation sting, but instead encountered law enforcement personnel.

Busby was arrested in 2015 and convicted in 2017 for online child sex crimes. At the time of his 2015 arrest, Busby was involved in prison ministry, according to his Facebook page. He has also previously served prison time in Dallas County for murder and aggravated robbery, and has a drug conviction. If released as scheduled, Busby will remain on parole for approximately 14 years as part of his sentence for the online solicitation conviction.

San Miguel stated that he met Busby while both were incarcerated, and he now does prison outreach. He said he served time for stealing cars. He stated that he believes in giving people a second chance. "I'm an advocate for second chances because someone did it for me," San Miguel said. He added that any contact between Busby and children would be monitored.

San Miguel questioned the extent of ongoing repercussions for Busby's past actions. "I don't condone it. It's a crime. He got sentenced for it. How far do you take it? How far do you beat a dead dog? He was paroled, and he met his requirements. How much more?" he said.