A Pottsboro man is facing a felony charge and two misdemeanor charges after deputies say he stood naked outside his home and exposed himself while children waited for a school bus and others were already aboard. Yancy Darren Tate was arrested in connection with the incident, which happened around 6:45 a.m. on Monday in the 100 block of Quail Creek Circle in Pottsboro.
According to the Greenville Chronicle, deputies were dispatched to the neighborhood after a report of the incident. A witness gave deputies a description of the man and identified the home he returned to, which investigators say allowed them to identify him as Tate. Additional witnesses later told the sheriff's office that Tate had been outside his home with his genitals exposed while performing sexual acts on himself, per the same account.
Investigators say a Pottsboro ISD bus driver took quick action that prevented additional children from being exposed to the incident, and the sheriff's office credited that intervention in its account of events. Investigators developed probable cause and obtained a warrant for Tate's arrest, the outlet reports.
Charges Stack Felony and Misdemeanor Counts
Tate was charged with indecency with a child by exposure, indecent exposure, and public lewdness, according to the report. He was taken into custody and booked into the Grayson County Jail, where he was held on $120,000 bond.
The distinction between the felony and misdemeanor exposure charges hinges on specifics of Texas law. Texas law legally distinguishes general indecent exposure from indecency with a child by exposure based on whether the victim is under 17 years of age and whether the exposure was committed with the specific intent to arouse or gratify sexual desire, according to Dunham & Jones. Under Texas Penal Code § 21.11, indecency with a child by exposure is classified as a third-degree felony, carrying a statutory penalty of two to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000 upon conviction.
A conviction on that felony count would also carry consequences beyond prison time. Per the Texas Criminal Defense Group, a conviction for indecency with a child by exposure under Texas law requires mandatory sex offender registration under Chapter 62 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.
Lesser Charges Carry Their Own Penalties
The misdemeanor counts filed alongside the felony charge carry separate statutory ranges. Under Texas Penal Code § 21.08, a first offense of indecent exposure is classified as a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in county jail and a fine of up to $2,000, according to FindLaw. Public lewdness, meanwhile, is defined under Texas Penal Code § 21.07 as a Class A misdemeanor, which carries penalties of up to one year in county jail and a maximum fine of $4,000.
Repeat misdemeanor exposure offenses can also trigger registration requirements even without a child victim involved. Under Section 62.005 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, a second conviction or deferred adjudication for misdemeanor indecent exposure triggers a mandatory 10-year sex offender registration requirement, according to Barnett Howard & Williams PLLC. It remains unclear from available reporting whether Tate has any prior criminal history that could factor into enhanced penalties.
A Small Grayson County Community
Pottsboro is a small town in northern Grayson County near Lake Texoma, with an official 2020 Census population of 2,488 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Pottsboro Independent School District, whose bus driver is credited with limiting the exposure of additional children to the incident, operates four public campuses that served an aggregate enrollment of 1,441 students from Pre-K through 12th grade during the 2023–2024 school year.
Tate was booked into the Grayson County Jail, operated by the Grayson County Sheriff's Office at 200 S. Crockett Street in Sherman, the county seat and central judicial hub for Grayson County. Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed similar conduct involving Tate on Monday morning to contact the Grayson County Sheriff's Office. It is not yet known when formal court proceedings will begin in Grayson County District Court, nor what specific safety or counseling measures, if any, Pottsboro ISD has provided to affected students.
