How will Ken Paxton protect children? His office offered a man who confessed to sexually touching a boy one day in jail.
In cases his own office ran, accused child abusers and traffickers of minors got misdemeanors, probation and no sex-offender registration, and he kept taking money from a man accused of abusing a boy.
Paxton claims he brings the full force of the law against child predators, citing hundreds of convictions and arrests by his office.
Source: Attorney General press release on convictions of child predators, Oct. 6, 2026 · Office of the Texas Attorney GeneralWhat the record shows
Paxton says he brings the full force of the law against child predators. 01 In the child sex-abuse case his office took over in Waco, his prosecutors offered a man who confessed to sexually touching a boy two misdemeanors, one day in jail and no sex-offender registration. The judge raised it to 60 days, and the man served 29. 02 03 Paxton later defended the deal by saying, “They served 60 days.” 04
Reporting found his office cut similar deals in other cases it handled: no-jail pleas for athletes charged in the La Vernia High School sexual assaults, and probation with no sex-offender registration for two men charged with trafficking underage girls. 06 07
His campaign kept taking money from Paul Pressler after Pressler was sued in 2017 for allegedly sexually abusing a boy for years, and in 2024 he backed Pressler’s law partner. 08 09 Representing the state, his office spent years fighting federal court-ordered fixes to a foster care system a judge found was harming the children in it. 10 11 When a judge ordered state police to release their records on the Uvalde school shooting, his office appealed, halting the release. 12 13 14
As a legislator, he voted to let the state cut children’s CHIP health coverage from 12 months to six, voted against restoring it, voted against letting families buy into CHIP, and wrote a bill to make child-care quality funding optional. The votes are listed below with journal citations.
Actions Paxton cites
- Paxton’s office says it brings “the full force of the law” against child predators
The release cites hundreds of convictions and arrests of child predators.
The record behind this
- Paxton keeps taking campaign money from Paul Pressler after a lawsuit accuses him of sexually abusing a boy
The lawsuit was filed in October 2017. Paxton’s campaign reports list contributions from Pressler again in fall 2018. Pressler denied the allegations; the suit settled in 2023.
- Paxton’s prosecutors offer probation to two men charged with trafficking underage girls
Both pleaded to a reduced charge and were sentenced to seven years’ probation, two more than prosecutors asked for. Neither had to register as a sex offender. The lead prosecutor resigned three weeks later, and the office declined to answer questions.
- Paxton appeals to block release of state police records on the Uvalde school shooting
A Travis County judge had ordered the Department of Public Safety to release video and records on the police response to the Robb Elementary shooting, where officers waited more than an hour to confront the gunman. Paxton’s appeal, on behalf of DPS, halted the release.
- Paxton backs the law partner of accused child abuser Paul Pressler
Jared Woodfill had testified that for years he used the firm’s money to pay young men to work out of Pressler’s home despite repeated warnings. Paxton appeared at his fundraiser.
- With outside lawyers hired by Paxton’s office, Texas gets a foster-care contempt order thrown out
The trial judge had found the state in contempt three times for failing to fix how it investigates abuse and neglect of children in its care. A federal appeals court reversed the $100,000-a-day fine and removed the judge.
- Nearly two years later, the state is still fighting release of the Uvalde police records
The news organizations’ lawsuit against DPS was still pending at the 15th Court of Appeals.
- Paxton’s office offers one day in jail to a man who confessed to sexually touching a child
After a hung jury, his prosecutors offered two misdemeanors, one day served and no sex-offender registration. The judge said, “One day. Seriously?” and imposed 60 days.
- Reporting finds Paxton’s office struck lenient deals in three more sex-abuse cases
No-jail pleas with possible expunction for La Vernia High School athletes charged in a hazing sexual-assault case; probation for two men charged with trafficking underage girls; and dismissal of two felony sexual-assault charges against a former sheriff in exchange for a misdemeanor plea.
The votes behind this
- Voted for the 2003 law that let the state cut children’s CHIP coverage from 12 months to 6 and add an asset testHB 2292: Reorganization of health and human services agencies, including CHIP eligibility changes. Passed; conference report adopted 87–58.
- Wrote a bill to make child-care quality funding optionalHB 2959: Local use of federal child-care block grant funds. Did not become law.
- Voted against restoring 12-month CHIP health coverage for childrenHB 109: Restoring 12-month CHIP eligibility and outreach. Passed House 128–17; he also voted against the final version, adopted 134–14. Became law.
- Voted against letting families buy CHIP coverage for their childrenHB 2962: CHIP eligibility changes and a CHIP “buy-in” option. Passed House 87–55; died in the Senate.
Paxton’s response
Paxton said the Waco case had been “very misrepresented,” and his office declined to answer questions about the 2023 trafficking plea deal. 04 07
Sources
- 01Attorney General Ken Paxton announces arrest of over 18,000 criminals by Fugitive Apprehension Unit and convictions for hundreds of predators, including human traffickers and pedophilesOffice of the Texas Attorney General · Oct. 6, 2026
- 02Inside Ken Paxton’s plea deal for a child sex abuse caseThe Texas Tribune / The Texas Newsroom · May 19, 2026
- 03
- 04Paxton Answers Attack Ads, Talks Issues at Fort Worth InterviewThe Texan · Sept. 29, 2026
- 05
- 06Ken Paxton’s office struck plea deals in three other sex abuse cases beyond one facing scrutinySan Antonio Current · Sept. 30, 2026
- 07Sex trafficking plea deal unending ‘nightmare’ for Texas momAssociated Press (via KSAT) · March 24, 2023
- 08Ken Paxton campaign finance report (lists Paul Pressler contribution, fall 2018)Texas Ethics Commission · 2019
- 09Texas justice didn’t recuse himself from sex abuse casesThe Texas Tribune · Feb. 13, 2024
- 105th Circuit Court orders federal judge removed from Texas foster care lawsuitThe Texas Tribune · Oct. 11, 2024
- 11Long-running lawsuit against Texas’ foster care system appealed to the U.S. Supreme CourtThe Texas Tribune · May 16, 2025
- 12Sen. Gutierrez criticizes AG Paxton’s appeal to block release of DPS’s Uvalde recordsNBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth · Dec. 8, 2023
- 13
- 14More Uvalde school shooting records to be made public soon. Here’s what to knowSpectrum News · Aug. 9, 2025