A 28-year-old Princeton man has been sentenced to life in prison for starving and beating his children, Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said.

The DA said Kevin Dixon, a previously convicted felon, was sentenced after pleading guilty to seven counts of Injury to a Child Causing Serious Bodily Injury.

Willis said the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) investigated complaints against Dixon in 2021 including that he failed to provide adequate living conditions and engaged in excessive discipline.

DFPS contacted the family again in February 2025 and discovered five children ranging in age from 2 to 10 had numerous marks, permanent scars across their bodies and appeared severely malnourished, Willis said.

During an investigation led by Princeton Police Detective Crawford, officers determined the children had scars and marks from being struck repeatedly by belts and cords while being deprived of food, the district attorney said. 

The children were forensically interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, where each detailed the physical abuse and severe neglect including the beating of one child for taking a candy bar.

Investigators also learned Dixon had previously served prison time for a 2015 robbery conviction, enhancing his potential punishment to 15 to 99 years or life in prison for each count.

Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Jean-Marie Anderson and Wendy Correa prosecuted the case, assisted by DA Investigator Greg Bowers.

Willis said Dixon pled guilty to seven counts and District Judge Kim Laseter sentenced him to life in prison on each of the five counts alleging physical abuse, and 25 years on the two counts alleging malnourishment.

“This father brutally beat and starved his own young children — some toddlers — leaving permanent scars and lasting trauma,” the district attorney said after the sentencing. “A tough sentence like life in prison is what it takes to protect vulnerable kids and ensure those who inflict such harm face full accountability.”