USA v. Caudill

1
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
SHERMAN DIVISION
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
v.
JOHNATHON D. CAUDILL
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
CASE NUMBER 4:24-CR-00120-SDJ-
KPJ-1
AMENDED REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
On October 30, 2025, the court conducted a hearing to consider the government’s petition
to revoke the supervised release of Defendant Johnathon D. Caudill. The government was
represented by Dustin Farahnak, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas,
and Defendant was represented by Jonathan Hyatt, Federal Public Defender.
Defendant originally pled guilty to the offense of Enticement of a Child, a Class A felony.
This offense carried a statutory maximum imprisonment term of life. The guideline imprisonment
range, based on a total offense level of 35 and a criminal history category of I, was 168 to 210
months. On March 2, 2012, U.S. District Judge John McBryde of the Northern District of Texas
sentenced Defendant to 180 months imprisonment, followed by a lifetime term of supervised
release subject to the standard conditions of release, plus special conditions to include sex offender
treatment and testing; no contact with minors under the age of 18; restrictions from pornography;
no loitering near places frequented by children; sex offender registration; restrictions from
computers or devices with internet connection, including gaming devices; and payment of a $100
special assessment. On November 1, 2023, Defendant completed his period of imprisonment and
Case 4:24-cr-00120-SDJ-BD Document 32 Filed 12/29/25 Page 1 of 5 PageID #:
<pageID>

2
began service of the supervision term in the Eastern District of Texas, Plano Division. On May 15,
2024, the conditions of Defendant’s supervision were modified to include mental health treatment
and taking all prescribed medications. On May 22, 2024, jurisdiction over the case was transferred
to the Eastern District of Texas, and Defendant’s case was reassigned to U.S. District Judge Sean
D. Jordan of the Eastern District of Texas.
On July 23, 2024, Defendant’s initial term of supervision was revoked, and he was
sentenced to 12 months imprisonment followed by a lifetime period of supervised release, subject
to the standard conditions of release, plus special conditions to include sex offender registration;
sex offender treatment and testing; no contact with minors under the age of 18; restrictions from
pornography; no loitering near places frequented by children; mental health treatment and testing;
restrictions from any computers or devices with internet connection, including gaming devices;
computer monitoring requirements; restrictions from use of alcohol; restrictions from photo
equipment; a sex offender search requirement; a 4-month placement term in a residential reentry
center in a prerelease component; and payment of a $100 special assessment. On May 30, 2025,
Defendant completed his period of imprisonment and began service of the supervision term in the
Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division. On July 30, 2025, the court approved an extension of
Defendant’s term in the residential reentry center by a period of 180 days, mandatory community
confinement, beginning on or around September 30, 2025.
Under the terms of supervised release, Defendant was prohibited from purchasing,
possessing, having contact with, or otherwise using any devices that can be connected to the
internet or used to store digital materials, other than that approved by the U.S. Probation Office.
Defendant was also required to allow the U.S Probation Office to install software on any approved
device that is designed to record any and all activity on the device Defendant may use, including
Case 4:24-cr-00120-SDJ-BD Document 32 Filed 12/29/25 Page 2 of 5 PageID #:
<pageID>

3
but not limited to capture of keystrokes, application information, internet use history, e-mail
correspondence, pictures, and chat conversations. Defendant was further prohibited from the
purchase, possession, or use of digital cameras; digital recorders; or any other type of recording
and/or photographic equipment. In Allegation 1 of its petition, the government alleges that
Defendant violated his conditions of supervised release on or about July 8, 2025, when Defendant
possessed an unauthorized internet-capable smart phone that was later taken by the U.S. Probation
Office. Defendant admitted he had possessed this unauthorized device since his release and
confirmed that he used the phone to access the internet without authorization in addition to using
the camera on the device to take explicit photos of himself to exchange online. The government
further alleges that Defendant violated his conditions of supervised release on or about August 27,
2025, when Defendant obtained an unauthorized internet data plan on his approved Bark cellular
phone. Defendant admitted on September 29, 2025, that he used the device to access the internet
from the date he purchased the data plan until the phone was taken by the U.S. Probation Office
on September 22, 2025.
If the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that Defendant violated the conditions
of supervised release by possessing and using an unauthorized internet-capable and photo-capable
device, purchasing and using an unauthorized internet plan for his approved cellular phone,
accessing the internet without authorization, and using a camera without authorization, Defendant
will have committed a Grade C violation. U.S.S.G. § 7B1.1(a). Upon a finding of a Grade C
violation, the court may revoke supervised release. U.S.S.G. § 7B1.3(a)(1). Considering
Defendant’s criminal history category of I, the guideline imprisonment range for a Grade C
violation is 3 to 9 months. U.S.S.G. § 7B1.4(a).
Case 4:24-cr-00120-SDJ-BD Document 32 Filed 12/29/25 Page 3 of 5 PageID #:
<pageID>

4
At the hearing, the parties indicated that they had come to an agreement to resolve the
petition whereby Defendant would plead true to the Grade C violation of the condition prohibiting
Defendant from possessing and using an unauthorized internet-capable and photo-capable device,
purchasing and using an unauthorized internet plan for his approved cellular phone, accessing the
internet without authorization, and using a camera without authorization asserted as Allegation 1
in the government’s petition. The parties further agreed to a sentence of 18 months imprisonment;
an upward departure from the advisory guideline range. The court agrees that an upward departure
in this case is appropriate. First, Defendant has failed to serve 156 days of community confinement
time. Adding the unserved time to a top end guideline sentence of 9 months would result in a
sentence of over 14 months. In addition and most importantly, Defendant’s supervised release has
previously been revoked for violations similar to those alleged here warranting a more severe
sentence than imposed for the previous violations. Since Defendant’s supervised release has
commenced, he has engaged in ongoing, habitual, sexually inappropriate pattern of behavior.
Finally, the parties agreed that imprisonment would be followed by a lifetime period of supervised
release with the pre-release condition that Defendant will reside in a residential reentry center or
similar living facility for 180 days after being released from confinement.
The court therefore RECOMMENDS that Defendant’s plea of true to Allegation 1 be
accepted, and that he be imprisoned for 18 months to include 156 days of unserved community
confinement time followed by a lifetime period of supervised release subject to the standard
conditions of release, plus special conditions to include sex offender registration; sex offender
treatment and testing; no contact with minors under the age of 18; restrictions from pornography;
no loitering near places frequented by children; mental health treatment and testing; restrictions
from any computers or devices with internet connection, including gaming devices; computer
Case 4:24-cr-00120-SDJ-BD Document 32 Filed 12/29/25 Page 4 of 5 PageID #:
<pageID>

5
monitoring requirements; restrictions from use of alcohol; restrictions from photo equipment; a
sex offender search requirement; payment of a $100 special assessment; and the pre-release
condition that he will reside in a residential reentry center or similar facility for 180 days after
being released from confinement. The court further RECOMMENDS that Defendant serve his
sentence at FMC Fort Worth, TX, if available. The parties waived their right to objections so this
matter shall be immediately presented to the District Judge for consideration.
So ORDERED and SIGNED this 29th day of December, 2025.
Case 4:24-cr-00120-SDJ-BD Document 32 Filed 12/29/25 Page 5 of 5 PageID #:
<pageID>