Child Predator Sentenced to Life Plus 10 Years Following Son’s Tip

A Granbury man whose son reported him to law enforcement was sentenced to a term of life imprisonment plus 10 years for child sexual exploitation, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

In February, after three days of trial and just 45 minutes of deliberation, a federal jury found David Earl Boyd, 64, guilty of two counts of producing child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of penalties for registered sex offenders. Mr. Boyd was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means.

“This sentence ensures Mr. Boyd will never again exploit a little child,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton.  “I want to again thank Mr. Boyd’s son for reporting his father’s behavior to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It cannot have been easy, but it likely prevented further harm. We hope the families of the children already victimized will rest a little easier knowing Mr. Boyd will remain behind bars for the rest of his life.”

“This defendant’s actions were exceptionally disturbing given the severity of the life-altering abuse these children experienced,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. “HSI stands ready with our law enforcement partners to identify and investigate those who prey on the most precious members of our society, our children.”

According to evidence presented at trial, in the spring of 2022, Mr. Boyd, already a registered sex offender, took sexually explicit images of two young children, aged 6 and 3.

Mr. Boyd’s son discovered nude images of the children in his father’s trash folder. He took a screenshot of the trash gallery and submitted a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which forwarded the tip to law enforcement.  

Shortly thereafter, officers arrested Mr. Boyd and seized his Samsung smartphone.

During an extraction of the phone, forensic examiners discovered thousands of child pornography images in a directory associated with an application designed to conceal images and videos. (Although Mr. Boyd had previously deleted the app, the directory retained the images and videos.)  

Previously, Mr. Boyd was convicted of possession of child pornography in Taylor County. In 2003, the state sentenced him to three years and required to register as a sex offender.

Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, the Hood County District Attorney’s Office, and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Lewis. U.S. District Judge Terry Means oversaw the trial.