26 Oct George West man gets 30 years in prison after local DA picks up case federal prosecutors did not file

A 30-year prison term was handed down to a George West man, 24, after the local district attorney’s office prosecuted a child sexual abuse material case that federal prosecutors never filed, according to The Progress.

Peyton Shane Choate pleaded guilty Oct. 19, right as jury selection was about to start, to possession of child pornography, a first-degree felony. Besides the prison term, he must stay on the sex offender registry for life.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Texas neither arrested nor indicted Choate. Prosecutors said Texas Ranger Justin Cuellar, concerned that children could be at risk, including children who lived in Choate’s household, asked District Attorney Tiffany McWilliams to allow state charges. She agreed right away, and Choate was taken into custody June 6, 2025. He was indicted by a Live Oak County grand jury that September.

McWilliams said she did not hesitate once Cuellar brought her the evidence and that her office was not going to let the case slip through without a prosecution.

The investigation dates to October 2024, when Facebook flagged a video from an account in Choate’s name. The tip passed through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to Homeland Security Investigations in Corpus Christi. Nueces County Sheriff’s Sgt. Andrew Carrizales, who works with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, verified the video was illegal material. He and Cuellar then searched Choate’s home and first located two videos on his phone.

A deeper review of the phone later revealed more than 100 images and videos of children being sexually abused, some of the victims younger than 10. Prosecutors also said investigators found messages showing Choate looking for material with even younger children and mentioning an interest in meeting children face to face.

The 156th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which serves Bee, Live Oak and McMullen counties, prosecuted the case through McWilliams and First Assistant Michelle Craig. McWilliams said the plea deal guaranteed a prison sentence and kept a jury from having to look at disturbing evidence. State prosecutors said nothing indicates the children in the material are from the area.