Man sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing North Texas child from jail, officials say
A 46-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted of sexually abusing a child across multiple states and cities in Texas, the Collin County District Attorney's Office announced.
Anthony Dewayne Taylor, who is a confirmed gang member, was convicted of sexual performance of a child, the DA's Office said.
A pattern of crime and abuse
Authorities said after Taylor was paroled on a drug trafficking charge from Oklahoma in 2020, he reconnected with the victim's family and "gained access to the child," who was 14 years old at the time.
In October 2022, Taylor was arrested for murder in Oklahoma City. While in jail awaiting trial, he made numerous calls to the victim and directed her to "engage in lewd acts" as she was living in Collin County, according to court records.
The victim comes forward
In December 2022, the victim told her family about the ongoing sexual abuse by Taylor, and the family reported it to the Frisco Police Department. During an interview with the Children's Advocacy Center, the victim detailed the abuse and the jail phone calls between her and Taylor.
Frisco detectives collected evidence that corroborated the victim's allegations and obtained the recorded jail calls from the Oklahoma City Police Department.
Investigation leads to new charges filed against Taylor
In December 2024, Taylor pleaded guilty to the Oklahoma City murder charge and was sentenced to 10 years in prison with 20 years of parole.
Following the Frisco investigation into the child sexual abuse allegations, Taylor was charged with sexual performance of a child.
During the trial in Collin County, jurors heard testimony on Taylor's lengthy criminal history and that he abused the victim from ages 14 to 16, officials said.
He was ultimately sentenced to life in prison and assessed a $10,000 fine by the jury.
"This convicted murderer continued to prey on a child even from behind bars. A Collin County jury saw the full picture and delivered the only sentence that protects the public and our children - life in prison," Collin County DA Greg Willis said in a statement following the verdict.
