POLK COUNTY, Texas – A proposed bill could require individuals convicted of child grooming to register as sex offenders.
House bill 2000, known as Audrii’s Law, was filed by state Rep. Trent Ashby.
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The bill is named after Audrii Cunningham, an 11-year-old murdered in February 2024 in Polk County by Don McDougal.
McDougal had been accused of indecency with a child in 2007, according to a statement from Ashby. McDougal was later charged with a lesser offense after making a plea deal, which didn’t require him to register as a sex offender.
The Alliance for Children defines child grooming as the calculated process by which an offender sexually abuses a child. It often involves manipulating them by establishing trust, building a relationship and, eventually, breaking down physical boundaries.
The 88th Legislative session established child grooming as a criminal offense, according to a press release obtained by KPRC. However, individuals found guilty of grooming do not currently have to register on the Texas Sex Offender Registry.
Ashby said the bill would “address the shortcomings in the law that tragically failed Audrii Cunningham and her family.”
“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,” Ashby said. “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.”
