AUSTIN – State Representative Trent Ashby (R – Lufkin) today filed House Bill 2000 in memory of Audrii Cunningham.
“Today, I have filed HB 2000, Audrii’s Law, named in memory of Audrii Cunningham, whose life was tragically ended in February of last year. Audrii’s death rocked our community, and this legislation seeks to prevent future tragedies by closing a legal loophole that allows violent sex offenders to stay off the sex offender registry,” Ashby said.
Before Audrii’s death, her assailant, Don McDougal, was accused of indecency with a child after attempting to molest a young girl in 2007. After striking a plea deal, McDougal was charged with a lesser charge of enticing a child, which does not require the offender to register as a sex offender.
“It is unconscionable that a violent criminal like McDougal was arrested and charged for attempting to molest a child and then was able to walk the streets without registering as a sex offender,” said Ashby. “Criminals with a history like McDougal need to be on a publicly available list so that people can protect themselves and their families from tragedies like what occurred in Polk County.”
During the 88th Legislative Session, the Legislature established child grooming as a criminal offense. However, this newly created offense does not require individuals found guilty of child grooming to register on the Texas Sex Offender Registry.
“House Bill 2000 will add child grooming to the Sex Offender Registry and address the shortcomings in the law that tragically failed Audrii Cunningham and her family,” Ashby said. I look forward to passing this bill into law to ensure that our children are protected from predators that could be hiding in plain sight.”
Trent Ashby is in his seventh term as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. He currently represents a six-county region that includes Angelina, Houston, Polk, San Augustine, Trinity, and Tyler Counties.
