March 3, 2026
(McKinney, Texas) – Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis announced that Donald Byron Joachim, 65, of Rosenberg, Texas, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child committed in Celina, Texas, from 2017 to 2020.
The Crime: Predator Exploited Family Trust to Abuse Child for Years
Joachim had ongoing access to the child through a relationship with the child’s family. Joachim sexually abused the victim over the course of many years, starting when the child was a toddler and ending when she was 13 years old. When the victim was 14 years old, she disclosed the abuse to her sister in-law. The abuse was then reported to the Comal County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigation Exposes Decades of Serial Grooming and Abuse of Multiple Victims
The child was interviewed at the Comal County Children’s Advocacy Center, where she provided details about the abuse. The abuse occurred not only in Celina, where the child’s family lived from 2017 to 2020, but also in Canyon Lake and Austin, Texas. After the outcry, Joachim confessed to several family members that he had abused the child.
During the investigation, multiple other children disclosed that Joachim had previously abused them. Joachim had abused these children in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, using his relationship with the children’s families to groom the children and gain access to them.
The Verdict and Sentence of Life without Parole
After hearing all the evidence, a Collin County jury found Joachim guilty of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child and sentenced Joachim to life in prison. By law, a sentence for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child is without eligibility for parole. Judge Tom Nowak presided over the trial.
Statement from DA Greg Willis
“For too long, this predator exploited trust within families to abuse multiple children across years and locations. Today’s life-without-parole sentence sends a clear message that Collin County will relentlessly pursue justice and safeguard our children,” said Willis after sentencing.
Prosecution Team
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Pierce Richardson and Allison Barber prosecuted the case, assisted by District Attorney Investigator Greg Bowers and Victim Assistance Coordinator Melissa White.
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