
The Texas Legislature is currently discussing the potential enactment of Audrii's Law, a bill filed by Rep. Trent Ashby, which seeks to intensify sex offender registry laws in the state. The legislation comes in the wake of the tragic murder of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham by an individual with a known history of preying on children, according to a report from Click2Houston.
Audrii's Law, if passed, would require people convicted of child grooming offenses to be listed on the Texas Sex Offender Registry—a provision not currently mandated by Texas law. This aims to address a significant gap in protecting children from sexual predators. Click2Houston further explained that while child grooming was criminalized in the state during the 88th Legislative Session, offenders convicted of this crime are not yet required to register as sex offenders in Texas. HB 2000 would change that, starting September 1, 2025.
The convicted murderer, Don Steven McDougal, had evaded inclusion on the registry following a plea deal struck back in 2007, after he was accused of trying to molest a young girl—a plea that landed him a lesser charge that skirted the then requirements of the sex offender registration, as noted by KHOU 11. "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," lamented Ashby, stating the pressing need for the proposed law to the Lufkin Daily News.
Last week signified a close for one chapter of this harrowing story when McDougal entered a plea deal that resulted in a life sentence without the chance of parole and without the ability to appeal—this resolution comes following an indictment on two counts of capital murder after the discovery of Cunningham's body in the Trinity River, as reported by Click2Houston.
Director of Victim Services at Crime Stoppers of Houston, Andy Kahan, who has been a strong advocate for the changes proposed in HB 2000, expressed determination to address the egregious oversight that overlooked convictions like McDougal's in the past. "I've already been in touch with several state senators and state representatives who, like everyone else, was just horrified and dumbfounded that this wasn't already an offense that you had to register," Kahan told KHOU 11. The weight of Audrii's case is felt in the Texas Legislature, as the representatives scrutinize the bill that bears her name—a bill that might stand as a beacon of protection for vulnerable children against those who lurk in the shadows.