Accusations of sexual assault can be a difficult experience for most defendants. These charges are even more difficult to deal with when the accusations involve a child. These types of charges can drastically affect those accused and their families, if a conviction should occur in a Texas criminal courtroom. A 52-year-old man faces criminal charges after he was accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.
The sexual assault reportedly happened while the man’s stepchild was having a sleepover. According to reports, he went into the room where the child was sleeping. At that time, he allegedly sexually assaulted the girl. Authorities placed the man under arrest, and afterward, a grand jury indicted him with first-degree aggravated sexual assault of a child.
The defendant was being held at a county jail facility on a $100,000 bond. It’s not known what plea he has entered or if he has secured legal assistance. No other information about this case has been reported.
A formal accusation of criminal conduct is just that — an accusation rather than a conviction. Defendants who are facing criminal charges for sexual assault clearly have a lot at stake, particularly since the state of Texas seeks to prosecute these types of allegations to the fullest extent of the law. Defendants who gain knowledge of criminal procedures and their legal rights can potentially increase the chances of achieving favorable outcomes in their criminal cases. In the end, it is the sole burden of government prosecutors to prove each and every element of a crime charged by evidence that meets the stringent guidelines of our criminal justice system, and failing that, no conviction is possible.
Source: ktxs.com, “West Texas man, 52, charged with sexually assaulting child“, Oct. 1, 2014