Jeffrey Downing, the former general counsel of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, pleaded guilty to online solicitation of a minor, according to KPRC Click2Houston. The plea was entered before a trial scheduled for October 2026. Reported terms include five years of deferred adjudication and 10 years of sex-offender registration. KPRC reported that the state gave up Downing’s right to a jury trial as part of the plea arrangement, with Judge Colleen Gaido to determine the sentence.
What the charge involves
The case began after Downing was accused of communicating on Kik with a Harris County Precinct 1 undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old girl in April 2024. Fox26houston.com reported that he requested nude images and allegedly sent images of his own genitals to someone he believed was a minor. Those details come from the investigation and allegations; the current plea terms do not independently establish every allegation described in the earlier reporting. Downing was arrested in May 2024 and charged with online solicitation of a minor, according to Fox 26 Houston.
Charge classification remains unclear
The available reports do not resolve whether Downing’s charge should be described as a second- or third-degree felony. KPRC characterized online solicitation of a minor as a third-degree felony carrying two to 10 years in prison, while ABC13 reported that Downing had been charged with a second-degree felony. That discrepancy should be confirmed against the charging and plea records rather than inferred from either report.
Registration under Texas law
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a violation of Penal Code Section 33.021, online solicitation of a minor, is a reportable offense under Texas’s sex-offender-registration program. The department says adult sex offenders generally register either for life or for 10 years following discharge from state supervision, depending on the offense and applicable rules. Those materials describe the general registration framework but do not establish Downing’s case-specific supervision conditions.
KPRC reported that Downing remained free on bond while the case was pending. The outlet also reported that prosecutors had offered a prison-related resolution in May 2025 without deferred adjudication, and that a new prosecutor took over in August 2025. The reason for the change in the negotiations was not reported.
Employment and licensing
Downing previously worked as a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and joined the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo as general counsel in October 2022, according to The Texas Lawbook. After his arrest, the rodeo placed him on administrative leave and said he had no direct contact with children in his role, Fox 26 Houston reported. KPRC reported that Downing has no criminal history and that his State Bar of Texas license remains active.
