Man pleads guilty to federal crimes related to sexual abuse of 3-year-old

TEXARKANA, Texas – A man who posted videos of himself sexually abusing a 3-year-old girl pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Texarkana to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor to produce child pornography.

Billy Joe Truss, 33, faces at least 15 years in prison. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts listed in a six-count indictment issued last year in the Eastern District of Texas. Truss was reported to the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office via a “priority” cyber tip on Aug. 15 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to a criminal complaint unsealed this week in federal court in Texarkana.

A priority one referral means there is a “current or imminent risk to the individual” and in this case NCMEC was concerned the files were “recently produced or home-made” and the young girl depicted in the material was in serious danger.

In the recordings, the toddler could allegedly be heard saying “owie” while being sexually abused.

Hopkins County investigators quickly identified Truss as the suspect who allegedly sent disturbing content, including rape, forced penetration, sodomy and forced oral sex. One of the videos shows the suspect’s face, and a state child protective services caseworker who knew Truss identified him from the clip. Other videos allegedly showed identifying marks, including tattoos and unique jewelry, the complaint said.

According to digital information associated with the pornographic material, the files were uploaded between January and August 2023 and were created using a cellphone.

Just one day after receiving the report, Hopkins County police officers, accompanied by officers from Franklin County, where Truss lived, went to his home. Truss was arrested in the backyard of his Franklin County home, and the alleged victim was found inside the home and rescued along with another child, according to the complaint.

Federal officials are seeking to seize a number of electronic devices that Truss used to record himself abusing the child and upload the content to the internet. He will return to court in several months to be sentenced.