On Nov. 24, 2025, Nathan Patterson was placed on 10 years of deferred adjudication probation after pleading guilty to five counts of possessing pornographic material that included child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
My office sought a sentence of 60 years in prison for those offenses. Ultimately, it is the judge’s responsibility to determine what is appropriate and what justice requires in each case.
We respect and support our judges in carrying out that responsibility, even when we occasionally disagree with their decisions.
Recently, there have been several social media posts about Mr. Patterson.
To clear the air and any misconceptions, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office apparently received cyber-tips from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force several days ago and had already obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. Patterson before any social media posts began circulating. In these types of cases, investigations and subsequent arrests are based on information received through law enforcement channels—not social media.
We are evaluating filing a motion to adjudicate Patterson’s deferred adjudication probation.
One of the benefits of deferred adjudication is that, if the court finds he committed a new offense or otherwise violated the terms of his probation, the judge may proceed to adjudicate his guilt and impose punishment within the full first-degree felony range of 5 to 99 years, or life imprisonment.
If any probation violations or new offenses exist in cases like these, we proceed with prosecution and seek an appropriate punishment based upon the evidence and circumstances, including any new offenses committed and the maximum punishment allowed by law.
For our citizens, I would ask you to keep in mind that social media posts are not helpful to ongoing criminal investigations.
What is helpful is when individuals who believe they have evidence of a new offense or of someone violating probation, report it directly to the appropriate law enforcement agency. This allows investigators to evaluate the information, preserve evidence and take appropriate action.
Posting allegations on social media can jeopardize criminal investigations and prosecutions. It can alert the subject of an investigation, giving them an opportunity to destroy evidence, flee, or otherwise interfere with the investigation.
It can also complicate a person’s right to a fair trial. Social media discussions, by themselves, are not evidence that law enforcement can use to initiate or prosecute a case.
Typically, in cases like these, investigations involving online child exploitation begin with cyber-tips submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which are then forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agency for further investigation.
This case appears to have begun with reports of suspected criminal activity made to another law enforcement agency that relayed those reports to the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office well before any social media activity occurred.
We encourage anyone who believes they have evidence of a crime—or evidence that someone has violated the terms of probation—to report that information directly to their local law enforcement agency so it can be properly investigated.
The goal should be to assist law enforcement, not to generate attention or engagement on social media. Posting accusations or speculation online for clicks, likes, or shares can jeopardize investigations, spread misinformation, and make it more difficult to hold offenders accountable.
If your concern is protecting the public and helping victims, the appropriate course of action is to provide that information directly to law enforcement and allow investigators to do their job.
My office will continue to follow the law, uphold our ethical obligations, and pursue Constitutional duty to seek justice without fear, favor, or political influence.
We remain committed to protecting the citizens of Grayson County and ensuring that every case is handled with integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
It is important to understand that this is still an active case, that an arrest, charge, or indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt, and that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: Freepik.com