Austin family law attorney indicted on charges related to child sex abuse material

AUSTIN, Texas - An Austin family law attorney has been indicted on multiple counts of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

What we know:

Garrett Clarkson Higley practices family law, including divorce cases, child custody cases, and addiction recovery case management. He has been practicing law since 2004.

Court documents reveal that in March 2024, a Dropbox account, with the username Garrett Higley and his law firm’s email address included, was reported to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. 

The affidavit says nine files were included in the Dropbox and seven were videos that meet the Texas definition of "Child Pornography".

The arrest affidavit also said a man who Higley met online came to visit him and during the several days he stayed, videos of CSAM were constantly playing. The man told law enforcement Higley had at least two hard drives that seemed to be full of CSAM.

Last week, Higley was indicted on seven counts of possession of child pornography, one being for a child younger than 10 years old.

What they're saying:

Higley’s attorney, Charlie Baird, sent FOX 7 a statement: 

"Clarkson Higley has been charged with possession of pornography.  We respect the process and understand an indictment is an early step required by the Texas Constitution. The indictment is not evidence of guilt. Clarkson is presumed innocent. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement and remain confident this case will ultimately be dismissed or that Clarkson will be acquitted at trial."

What's next:

Higley is out on bond. He has a hearing coming up next month. 

The Texas State Bar website shows he is still eligible to practice law.