A registered sex offender was arrested after he dropped a thumb drive containing more than 2,000 images and 100 videos of child pornography in the Parker County Sheriff’s Office parking lot during a routine compliance check, authorities said.
William Raymond Catron, who lives in Parker County, had just finished his required appointment with deputies on March 18 when he walked to his vehicle, got in, and drove away. A visitor who parked in the same spot shortly afterward found the thumb drive on the ground and turned it over to sheriff’s personnel.
An examination of the device revealed the illegal material along with several “selfie” photographs of Catron. Surveillance video from the sheriff’s office exterior cameras captured the moment the thumb drive fell from Catron’s pocket as he pulled out his vehicle keys.
Investigators confirmed the drive belonged to Catron, contacted him, and asked him to return to the office. He complied and was taken into custody immediately. During a recorded interview, Catron gave a full confession to possessing child pornography.
With assistance from the Weatherford Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, deputies later executed a search warrant at Catron’s residence and seized additional electronic devices believed to contain child pornography.
On March 20, Judge Craig Towson of the 43rd District Court issued two more arrest warrants for Catron: one for first-degree felony possession of child pornography depicting the sexual assault of a child under the age of 10, and another for second-degree felony failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
Catron was arrested on Sunday and booked into the Parker County jail. He was charged with first-degree felony possession of child pornography (50 images or more), and his bond was set at $750,000.