Texas Sexual Assault Attorney Guide
Statute of Limitations Overview
Criminal SOL
Texas has no criminal statute of limitations for sexual assault of a child under 17, continuous sexual abuse of a child, or public indecency with a child. For all other felony sexual offenses, Texas has a 10-year criminal SOL (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 12.01). DNA evidence can extend prosecution when identification of an unknown assailant occurs after the ordinary limitations period. Father Anthony Odiong (Diocese of Austin) was indicted in 2024 based on DNA evidence linking him to children fathered through abuse, demonstrating the DNA exception’s power even in older cases.
Civil SOL
Texas has one of the more survivor-friendly civil SOL frameworks nationally, particularly for child survivors, and amended the law in 2019.
Child survivors – abuse on or after September 1, 2019: There is no civil statute of limitations to sue the individual perpetrator at any time. This is one of the strongest perpetrator-focused civil SOL provisions in the nation.
Child survivors – claims against institutions (for abuse on/after 9/1/2019): Claims against third parties (schools, churches, employers) for enabling abuse must be filed within 30 years of the victim turning 18 (until age 48). Under the prior law for abuse before 9/1/2019, survivors had until age 33 (15 years after majority) to sue third parties.
Important limitation: The no-SOL provision for perpetrators does NOT apply retroactively to abuse occurring before September 1, 2019. For pre-2019 abuse, survivors had until age 33 to sue the perpetrator and third parties.
Adult survivors (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045): 5 years from the date of the incident. This applies to claims against the direct perpetrator AND against institutions. This is more generous than most states’ adult deadlines.
No general lookback window for Texas pre-2019 expired claims as of February 2026. Reform efforts ongoing. Texas is among the states cited as candidates for a lookback window given the demonstrated success in other states.
Institutional Liability
Texas law allows civil claims against schools, churches, employers, and other institutions for negligent hiring, supervision, and retention under the same 30-year (age 48) framework for post-2019 childhood abuse. For pre-2019 abuse, institutional claims follow the age-33 deadline.
Texas Catholic dioceses: All 15 Texas Catholic dioceses released lists of credibly accused clergy in 2019, naming approximately 300 clergy members. Major settlements include: Diocese of Dallas $23.4 million (1998, 8 victims of one priest); Dallas Diocese $7.5 million (1998, 3 victims of another priest). Active litigation continues across all Texas dioceses for claims not yet time-barred.
Gateway Church (Dallas): Lawsuit filed in 2024 against Gateway Church and founder Robert Morris for cover-up of childhood sexual abuse by Morris. Active litigation.
Southern Baptist Convention: Multiple Texas SBC churches face active litigation for enabling known abusers.
Attorney Firms
(1) Turley Law Firm
Location: Dallas (national practice)
Phone: 214-691-4025
Website: https://wturley.com/dallas-personal-injury-attorney-practice-areas/dallas-sexual-assault-attorney/
Pioneer in Texas Catholic clergy abuse litigation. In 1992, the firm filed suit against the Dallas Diocese; John Doe v. Diocese of Dallas (1997) became the largest sexual assault verdict in the country at that time. 30+ years dedicated institutional abuse experience. Handles cases throughout the United States and internationally. Free confidential consultation, contingency fee.
(2) Aldous Law
Location: Dallas (national practice)
Phone: 214-526-5595
Website: https://aldouslaw.com/sexual-assault/
Dallas-based sexual assault firm with courtroom-proven track record. Represented 16-year-old expelled from private school in cover-up of teacher relationship. Handles school abuse, clergy abuse, sports program abuse, and institutional cover-up cases. Requires sincere conviction before taking a case, meaning full resources behind each client. Free confidential consultation, contingency fee.
(3) Thomas J. Henry Law
Location: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Austin, and 3 additional Texas offices (statewide and national)
Website: https://thomasjhenrylaw.com/personal-injury/sexual-child-abuse-lawyers/
One of the largest plaintiff firms in the nation. 200+ attorneys, 350+ staff. Extensive child abuse and sexual assault practice across all Texas regions. Has taken on numerous cases against the Catholic Church and major institutions. 24/7 availability. Free confidential consultation, contingency fee.
(4) Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP
Location: Dallas (Texas statewide)
Website: https://camlawllp.com/dallas-sexual-assault-victim-lawyer/clergy/
Dallas firm with dedicated clergy and institutional sexual abuse practice. Handles claims against all 15 Texas Catholic dioceses. Extensive experience with Texas’s 5-year adult SOL and age-48 (post-2019) institutional framework. Free confidential consultation, contingency fee.
(5) Webster Vicknair MacLeod
Location: Houston (Texas statewide and national)
Phone: 713-396-5197
Website: https://wvmlaw.com/abuse-by-clergy-lawyer/
Houston firm with proven track record. Settled a large case with several hundred plaintiffs (institutional abuse). Handles clergy abuse, school abuse, and institutional cases throughout Texas. Trauma-informed, confidential approach. Free confidential consultation, contingency fee.
(6) Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law
Location: Houston (Texas statewide)
Phone: 800-444-5000
Website: https://terrybryant.com/personal-injury-lawyer/houston-sexual-abuse-lawyer
Houston sexual abuse firm with deep experience in church, school, and workplace abuse cases. Handles institutional cover-up cases where clergy were reassigned rather than removed. Free consultation, contingency fee.
(7) Herman Law
Location: National practice (active in Texas)
Phone: 800-976-8552
Website: https://hermanlaw.com
Nationally recognized survivor-focused firm, 35+ years, $100M+ landmark verdict. Active against all 15 Texas Catholic dioceses and other institutional defendants. Free confidential consultation, contingency fee.
(8) Levy Konigsberg LLP
Location: National practice (active in Texas)
Phone: 800-315-3806
Website: https://levylaw.com
Nationally recognized institutional abuse firm, $3B+ recovered. Active against Texas dioceses, juvenile facilities, and foster care. Free confidential consultation, contingency fee.
Important Context
No-SOL for post-2019 child abuse against perpetrators: Texas survivors of abuse occurring on or after September 1, 2019 face no deadline to sue their perpetrator directly. This provision is permanent and applies going forward.
Pre-2019 abuse: Survivors whose abuse occurred before September 1, 2019 should consult an attorney urgently. Age-33 cap for institutional claims (prior law) and age-33 perpetrator cap may have already expired depending on birth year.
All 15 Texas dioceses disclosed names in 2019: Active litigation across all Texas dioceses is ongoing. Survivors of clergy abuse with viable claims (born after approximately 1973 for pre-2019 abuse, or any age for post-2019 abuse) should seek an attorney evaluation.
Crisis resources: Texas Association Against Sexual Assault: 512-474-7190 | Safe Horizon Hotline: 800-621-HOPE