New Legislation Targets Hidden Video Recording Offenses In Texas

A new Texas law holds sex offenders accountable.

Background

Sex offender laws are nothing new to Texas, but offenses involving video recordings did not require offenders to register as sex offenders. That is no longer the case, thanks to a central Texas woman.

Cailey Rush

When she was 16 years old, Cailey Rush found that her stepfather had secretly recorded her in her bedroom and bathroom. He was also in possession of child porn involving other children. This past March, six and a half years later, Rush's stepfather, former Temple Police Detective Brandon Mathiews, was sentenced to eight years in prison for possession of child pornography. Mathiews was found guilty of invasive visual recording in a bath or dressing room in Cailey’s case and sentenced to 18 months in state jail with credits. But something was missing.

House Bill 1465

At the time Brandon Mathiews was sentenced for the illegal recordings, the law did not require him to register as a sex offender. House Bill 1465 closes the loophole. Representative Hillary Hickland authored the bill that was passed unanimously by the Texas House. As of September 1, 2025, anyone convicted of secretly filming someone in a private space without consent must register as a sex offender.

Sex Offender Registration

The following offenses require registration as a sex offender in Texas.

Sexual Assault

Sexual Performance by a Child

Sexual Assault of a Child

Continuous Sexual Assault of a Child

Aggravated Sexual Assault

Indecency by Contact

Indecency by Exposure

Unlawful Restraint, Burglary, Kidnapping, or Aggravated Kidnapping for Sexual Purposes

Trafficking

Compelling Prostitution

Online Solicitation of a Minor