Thursday, July 24, 2008

Billy Dan Carroll


A Travis County grand jury has indicted accused serial child predator Billy Dan Carroll on multiple charges, including aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child.

The indictments, issued late Tuesday, come as Austin police say they have completed their investigation involving Carroll.

Sgt. Brian Loyd of the child abuse investigation unit said Wednesday that police still have one victim they hope to identify from a videotape that investigators seized from Carroll's home in Northwest Austin but that they have no way of finding her.

Carroll is accused of sexually assaulting six children, according to the indictments. He also is charged with indecency with a child by contact and indecency with a child by exposure.

Police have said they seized a videotape from Carroll's home in which he is seen having sex with children.

Investigators have said that one of the girls was as young as 2. Carroll's also accused of videotaping a 13-year-old girl with a hidden camera in his home and drugging a victim with a narcotic-laced slushy drink.

They said Carroll met one victim, an 8-year-old girl, through his volunteer work with Court Appointed Special Advocates of Travis County, an organization that assists children.

Carroll's next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 8. A judge has not decided whether Carroll, who owned a well-known court reporting business with offices in Austin and San Antonio, will receive a court-appointed attorney. Carroll has said that his wife, who has filed for divorce, and his former business partner have frozen his assets and he can't afford counsel.

State District Judge Melissa Goodwin had declined to appoint a lawyer for Carroll and instead asked him to give her certain documents, including income tax statements. Carroll had not done so at a recent hearing.

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