BRYAN, Texas — A man involved in the Oct. 8, 2022 sexual assault on a minor that resulted in a lawsuit being filed against the jail has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.
That day, according to the Brazos County District Attorney's Office, Fidel Sanchez Jr. was being detained in a part of the Brazos County Jail reserved for 17-year-old inmates when he and multiple other inmates chose to bully another inmate while he tried to shower and eat, and escalated physically over the course of multiple hours.
It was noted that the victim that was in the housing unit had never been to jail prior to the incident and was there as a result of multiple misdemeanor charges.
The victim was later cornered in his cell by Sanchez and the other inmates, and was once again put through significant abuse, being punched, kicked, and strangled to the point that he nearly passed out. It was also noted that the victim believed he was going to die.
Even after making the victim give his passwords for commissary money and access to his accounts under duress, Sanchez's assaults continued. He even sexually assaulted the victim that night, but the victim failed to get help from jailers for multiple hours.
The victim was eventually removed from the housing unit and given medical care for his injuries, and Sanchez was charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault following an investigation.
Sanchez was put on trial on Jan. 29, 2024. During the trial, he agreed to a 50-year sentence, and waived appeal. Sanchez was sentenced on Wednesday by Judge John Brick.
"Regardless of a defendant's age, prison is the only place for someone that revels in the dehumanization and infliction of pain and suffering on another human being," said Assistant District Attorneys Brian Baker & Tonika Davis in a press release.
In April 2023, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards filed a lawsuit against the Brazos County Jail for the events that took place that day. A half-million dollar settlement was offered by Brazos County and accepted in writing by the victim in November of that same year, with a final judgement being delivered on Dec. 8.
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