On August 8, 2012, Kenneth Ray Purtell, Jr, 37, of Sherman, was sentenced to life in prison for the offense of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child. The sentence was pursuant to a plea agreement reached by Purtell with the Grayson County District Attorney's Office, and was handed down by 397th District Court Judge Brian Gary after Purtell pled guilty to the charge.
In March of 2012, an eight-year-old female relative of Purtell told her school counselor that Purtell had been abusing her at his home. A report was made to the Sherman Police Department and Child Protective Services. Sherman Detective Jeremy Cox took the child to the Grayson County Children’s Advocacy Center, where a forensic interview was conducted, and the child described the abuse. Cox obtained a search warrant for Purtell’s home and collected evidence at the home. Cox interviewed Purtell about the allegations, and Purtell confessed to the abuse as described by the young girl.
Kenneth Ray Purtell
At the time of the offense, Purtell was a registered sex offender, having been convicted in Tarrant County in 1994 of sexual assault of a child.
“The Sherman Police Department did a fine job to get a confession in this case,” said Assistant Grayson County District Attorney Brett Smith, who prosecuted the case. “This was a repeat sex offender, and they worked hard to make sure the case was good. It was nice to have a place like the Advocacy Center, too, that could help interview the child and get her some help as well.”
“A life sentence was certainly appropriate, based on the facts and this man’s history. It is just a shame we have people like this out there,” said Grayson County District Attorney Joe Brown.
Purtell will be eligible for parole in 30 years.
Sherman Attorney Joey Fritts represented Purtell.