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COLLIN COUNTY, Texas - A North Texas man will spend the next 45 years in prison after being caught sexually assaulting a child during a recorded sleep study.
District Attorney Greg Willis said 42-year-old Nathanael Lane of Garland took the 11-year-old girl to Plano for the diagnostic test in July of 2022.
Nathanael Lane
During that visit, cameras captured Lane sexually assaulting the child.
Alert staff members immediately contacted the police, who took Lane in for questioning and opened an investigation.
Lane admitted he knew the child was being recorded for the study, but he said he thought the room was too dark for the cameras to see the assault.
He later admitted to sexually assaulting the girl multiple times over the course of several months at home.
The girl disclosed additional details of the abuse while being interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County.
47 arrested in North Texas multi-agency operation targeting online child sexual exploitation
The North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested 47 people during an operation "aimed at the rescue of children across North Texas who are victims of online sexual exploitation."
Jurors found Lane guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child, which is a first-degree felony. A judge sentenced him to 45 years in prison.
"Child sexual assaults often tragically unfold in the shadows. In a striking turn of events, this perpetrator’s darkly evil actions were captured on video by vigilant employees - individuals who had no prior connection to the victim. They acted swiftly and responsibly, and our heartfelt gratitude extends to these courageous strangers and the ever-diligent Plano police," Willis after sentencing.
By law, Lane will not be eligible for parole.