A Jefferson County jury convicted 47-year-old Jimmy King Jr., a registered sex offender, of online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct and possession of child pornography Friday, closing out a case that began with a 2023 Beaumont police investigation into a report of suspicious activity involving a registered sex offender and a minor at a residence. After the verdict, King received concurrent prison sentences under a plea agreement, with an effective maximum of 25 years.
Jury Reaches Verdict After Years of Legal Proceedings
The jury delivered its guilty verdict Friday in Judge John Stevens' Criminal District Court in Beaumont, according to KFDM. After the September 25, 2026, verdict, King reached a plea agreement and received concurrent prison terms with an effective maximum of 25 years, as The Examiner reported. Judge Stevens' court handles major felony indictments in Jefferson County, including child sexual abuse and violent crime cases out of Beaumont, per the same outlet's reporting.
King was already a registered sex offender at the time of the 2023 investigation, according to KFDM's reporting. KFDM reported that the plea agreement involved enhancements due to previous charges. In general, Texas Penal Code Section 12.42(c) can elevate the punishment range for certain second-degree felonies involving a prior felony sex conviction to 5 to 99 years or life in prison, according to statutory analysis from the Texas Criminal Defense Group. That general range was not the sentence King received.
How the Case Against King Began
The case traces back to May 2023, when Beaumont police began investigating a report of suspicious activity involving a known registered sex offender and a minor at a residence, per KFDM's reporting on the original investigation. Investigators said King had contacted a 15-year-old girl through social media, then stalked and groomed her before transporting her from her residence outside Beaumont to his home, where police say he sexually assaulted her.
Beaumont police special crimes detectives spent three days investigating before three felony warrants were issued against King on May 18, 2023, covering two counts of sexual performance by a child and one count of sexual assault of a child, according to KFDM. U.S. Marshals assisted detectives in executing the warrants and taking King into custody, with the Beaumont Police Department crediting cooperative work among patrol officers, criminal investigators, the Marshals Service, and the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office.
At the time of the arrest, Beaumont police described King as an active child predator taken off the street and characterized the case as a dangerous sex offender targeting an underage child through social media. Police also used the case as an opportunity to remind parents to check their children's social media accounts.
Digital Evidence Backed the Solicitation Charge
A probable cause affidavit obtained by 12News KBMT in October 2023 showed investigators recovered text messages from King's phone indicating he was actively soliciting sex from the 15-year-old victim. The same affidavit detailed that Beaumont police determined King had committed acts of sexual performance by a child on at least two separate occasions.
Investigators also found Facebook and TikTok applications on King's phone, which the station reported were prohibited under the legal conditions of his sex offender status. The affidavit separately described messages in which King allegedly solicited the teenager.
Grand Jury Indictment Covered Additional Counts
A Jefferson County grand jury had indicted King on multiple crimes involving a child in 2023, according to previous KFDM reporting. That indictment included two counts of sexual performance of a child, sexual assault of a child, failure to comply with the sex offender registry, possession of child pornography, and online solicitation of a minor. Friday's jury verdict resulted in convictions specifically on the online solicitation and child pornography counts.
Online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison under Texas Penal Code Section 33.021, according to FindLaw. Possession of child pornography is a third-degree felony carrying a sentence of 2 to 10 years in prison and mandatory sex offender registration, according to statutory analysis from L&L Law Group.
What Happens Next in the Punishment Phase
KFDM reported that King received prison terms of 20, 25, 20 and 25 years on the specified charges, plus a 20-year term for sexual performance of a child, under a plea agreement reached after the verdict. The terms run concurrently, making 25 years the effective maximum.
State crime reports published by the Texas Department of Public Safety show that sexual assault and online exploitation offenses across Texas involve acquaintances or online contacts in a majority of reported child cases, underscoring why law enforcement agencies continue to urge parents to monitor their children's social media use. Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas offers cash rewards of up to $1,000 for anonymous crime tips, according to 12News KBMT.
