A Dallas man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for violating a protective order and repeatedly harassing a woman over more than a decade.
Fifty-year-old Shedrick Thornton, who had two prior convictions related to the victim, was found guilty on August 14, 2025, of violating a protective order. The victim first encountered Thornton in 2011, when he reached out as an old college acquaintance seeking to reconnect. She politely declined, but Thornton began a pattern of harassment that would last 14 years.
During this period, Thornton stalked, harassed, and intimidated the victim. He faced prior prison time and probation for stalking and violating a protective order. After being released from prison in December 2024, Thornton resumed his harassment just a week later, showing up at the victim’s condominium, confronting the doorman, and insisting on seeing the victim.
The jury reached a verdict in just six minutes, finding Thornton guilty. Judge Alfred H. Bennett imposed the maximum sentence of 20 years for the violation and revoked his probation, adding an additional 10 years. The sentences were stacked, bringing the total prison term to 30 years.
The case was prosecuted by Lead ADA Max Ternosky, with assistance from Kathryn Suggs, investigator Michael Csaszar, and paralegal Stephanie Thompson. The Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation.
