A Texas man has been sentenced to life in prison after authorities say he continued to sexually assault a child – who he allegedly molested earlier – while he was in prison awaiting trial for murder.
Anthony Dewayne Taylor46, of Frisco, was convicted of child sexual abuse, the Collin County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release issued Wednesday, February 11.
Taylor is accused of abusing the young victim from the age of 14 until she was 16, according to prosecutors.
“After being paroled for drug trafficking in Oklahoma in 2020, Taylor reconnected with the victim’s family and was able to find the child,” the district attorney’s office said.
He is accused of harassing her in multiple states and multiple Texas cities, according to prosecutors.
In October 2022, Taylor, described as a “confirmed felon and gang member,” was arrested on a murder charge in connection with a slaying in Oklahoma City, the district attorney’s office said.
Before his murder, Taylor called a girl he had previously abused in custody, according to prosecutors.
The calls were being recorded, the district attorney’s office said.
Over the phone, Taylor told the girl to “engage in lewd acts while the child was still living in Collin County, leading to sex crimes,” according to the district attorney’s office.
In December 2022 — two years before Taylor pleaded guilty to murder in December 2024 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison — the girl came forward about the abuse, the district attorney’s office said.
She “bravely” opened up about the abuse, which led to her family notifying the Frisco Police Department.
Taylor’s attorney, John B. Setterberghe refused Us Weekly’s request for comment on Wednesday, February 11. It was not immediately clear who represented Taylor in his murder case.
According to the district attorney’s office, the child detailed the alleged abuse she suffered from Taylor, including the phone calls, in an interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County.
Then a Frisco police detective, Kim Pruittthey found evidence that corroborated what the girl said when she visited Taylor’s home, the district attorney’s office said. Pruitt also obtained recorded jailhouse calls with the help of the Oklahoma City Police Department.
A Collin County judge ultimately convicted Taylor of sleeping with a child in the case, which began on January 20, according to prosecutors and court records reviewed by Us.
Taylor faced five to 99 years in prison, or life in prison, the district attorney’s office said.
The judge decided that a life sentence was appropriate, according to prosecutors.
“This murderer who was found guilty continued to abuse the child even when he was incarcerated,” said the District Attorney Greg Willis said the statement. “The Collin County judge saw the full picture and imposed a sentence that protects the public and our children – life in prison.”
Taylor has filed an appeal in his case, court records said.
If you or someone you know is being abused by children, call or text the Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
