A Sherman man has been sentenced to a total of 180 years in prison after a Grayson County jury convicted him on 15 felony counts stemming from the prolonged sexual abuse of a child.
Joseph Ryan Davidson, 39, was sentenced Sept. 25 in the 15th District Court after being found guilty of five counts of sexual indecency with a child by contact and 10 counts of sexual assault of a child, according to Grayson County Criminal District Attorney John Kermit Hill.
The charges followed an extensive investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving a single victim. Prosecutors said the abuse began when the child was 14 years old and continued over an extended period.
According to the district attorney’s office, the investigation began in September 2022 when the child disclosed the abuse to a school counselor. The counselor reported the allegations to authorities, and the child subsequently participated in interviews with investigators.
Weeks later, the child recanted the allegations after being pressured by Davidson, prosecutors said. The abuse continued.
In July 2024, the child again reported the abuse to law enforcement, leading to Davidson’s arrest by the Sherman Police Department in August 2024.
Davidson remained in jail for approximately two months before being released on bond. He was returned to the Grayson County Jail following a November 2025 indictment.
The Grayson County Children’s Advocacy Center conducted forensic interviews as part of the investigation. According to prosecutors, those interviews and additional investigative work established that the abuse occurred between August 2022 and July 2024.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence supporting the victim’s account, including recorded statements Davidson made to the child.
Evidence also detailed what prosecutors described as extensive grooming behavior, including Davidson providing gifts, food and attention while spending significant amounts of time with the victim.
Jurors also heard evidence that Davidson made threats, including a claim that he had hired a hitman to murder someone. Prosecutors said Davidson also attempted to undermine the child’s credibility by convincing others that the allegations were untrue.
According to the district attorney’s office, many of the assaults occurred while Davidson was working as a driver for DoorDash and Uber, with the child accompanying him in the vehicle.
After considering the evidence, the jury found Davidson guilty on all 15 counts.
Assistant District Attorney Justin Almand, who prosecuted the case, praised the victim’s courage and the work of the investigators and prosecutors involved.
“I am thankful that this jury sent a strong message. I am proud of the survivor for the courage she showed going into the courtroom and telling the jury what happened. I am also proud of the hard work done by the multi-disciplinary team and the team at the DA’s office,” Almand said.
Each of the 15 charges is a second-degree felony under Texas law, carrying a punishment range of two to 20 years in prison. Because Davidson had no prior felony convictions and there was no deadly weapon finding, probation was also a legally available sentencing option.
During the punishment phase of the trial, Hill urged jurors to consider the safety of the victim and other children in Grayson County.
“At the end of the day, he’s asking y’all for mercy. And I implore you in this instance to show mercy to the victim and every child in Grayson County,” Hill told jurors. “And I suggest to you that the safest thing for Grayson County, and very deserving for the defendant, is to keep him out of Grayson County for every day possible.”
The jury ultimately assessed sentences totaling 180 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Davidson will also be required to register as a sex offender for life. The victim has been granted a lifetime protective order.
At the conclusion of her victim impact statement, the child addressed Davidson directly.
“God be with you, Joseph Davidson,” she said.
Judge Jim Fallon presided over the trial. Almand, the county’s child abuse chief assistant district attorney, prosecuted the case with assistance from investigators Terry Syler and Mariah Carter and Victim Assistance Coordinator Elizabeth Holtzclaw.
Criminal defense attorney Micah Belden represented Davidson.
