Democratic James Talarico is facing blowback after the family of a child sex abuse victim whose case he invoked publicly contradicted his claim and said they are “tired of being used” in the election.
Talarico held a news conference July 9 outside the office of his Senate opponent, Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, at which he accused Paxton of giving an “Epstein-style sweetheart deal” to former Waco, Texas, attorney Adam Hoffman.
Pressed by reporters on whether he had personally spoken to the victims family, Talarico answered, “Our team has been in contact.”
However, Melissa Dieterich, a friend and spokesperson for the family, publicly disputed Talarico’s assertion that his team had been in contact. Dieterich posted a “note from the victim’s family” on Facebook, which said, “We have not given any statement to Talarico. We have not spoke to him.”
Dieterich further noted that the family is “tired of being used in this election” and “we are tired of lies being told by both Paxton & Talarico, tired of the divide and just tired.”
In response to a comment on her post saying, “I have yet to see any politician NOT use this case as a talking piece,” Dieterich wrote, “Right, but someone said they have spoke to the victims (sic) mom and this and that and it isnt true.”
“That isnt cool,” she wrote.
After Dieterich’s post, JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, told Fox News Digital, “This family has gone through hell. They have experienced something unimaginable and deserve respect.”
Ennis explained that Talarico’s team “facilitated outreach to offer our support and ensure the family has a way to get in touch at any time, for any reason.”
“Elected officials on both sides of the aisle have called out this plea deal,” he said. “The judge presiding over the case has called out this plea deal. James is calling out this plea deal and demanding justice to stop this from happening again.”Â
Hoffman originally was charged with continuous sexual abuse of a young child.Â
Earlier in 2026, Paxtons office negotiated a plea agreement in which Hoffman pleaded guilty to indecent assault and displaying harmful material to a minor. He was sentenced to 60 days in the McLennan County Jail and was released after 29 days.
The deal was reached after a Waco, Texas, jury failed to reach a unanimous decision in 2025, resulting in a mistrial.
Assistant attorneys general in Paxtons office have said the deal was a “difficult decision” and “was made entirely in the best interest of the child involved,” according to Spectrum News.
The victim’s mother initially agreed to the plea agreement but later changed her mind, Fox 44 reported. The outlet reported a statement from the mother accusing the judge, police and Paxton of having “bent the system.”
“They made sure my son was in the room when they raised the plea deal â knowing he didnt want to testify again â and they used that against him. They pushed the deal through with or without our approval. That is not justice. That is manipulation,” the mother claimed, adding, “Paxtons office gave Hoffman a sweetheart deal. That is corruption.”
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