North Texas man sentenced to 75 years for possession of child porn, including sexual assault of toddlers, officials say

A 31-year-old North Texas man will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for possessing child pornography, including material depicting the sexual assault of toddlers, the Collin County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday. 

Joshua Turner, of Celina, pleaded guilty to possession of visual material depicting sexual assault on Oct. 28, Collin County DA Greg Willis said.

How investigators caught Turner 

Authorities said an investigation into Turner was launched in October 2025, following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tipster claimed that Turner was viewing child pornography.

The investigation found that Turner started deleting evidence from his devices; however, detectives were able to recover several images and videos of child pornography that included material showing toddlers being sexually assaulted.

Authorities said further review of Turner's devices revealed that he had been messaging several minors through social platforms Kik, Session and Telegram.

He also sent messages that described sexual acts he wanted to commit on children as young as 3 years old, documents showed.

Authorities said Turner also had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl after allegedly giving her alcohol.

What happened during Turner's trial

After Turner pleaded guilty on Oct. 28, a Collin County jury sentenced him to 75 years in prison.

"This man possessed especially despicable child pornography, including the sexual assault of toddlers, messaged multiple minors, and engaged in sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old after giving her alcohol," Willis said in a statement following Turner's sentencing. "A jury sentenced him to 75 years in prison. Those who exploit children will be held accountable."