BRYAN, Texas — A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact on Monday, Jan. 30, according to a release from the Brazos County District Attorney.
The original incident occurred in July 2020, according to the release. At the time, a 12-year-old girl reported to her mother that Gonzales had made inappropriate sexual contact with her when she was eight or nine years old.
The girl's mother later reported the incident to Bryan Police, who eventually questioned Gonzales about the accusations. According to the release, Gonzales denied the allegations, claiming that the girl would have come forward sooner if what she had reported had actually taken place.
According to the release, the girl was eventually taken to Scotty's House in Bryan, where she gave her recollection of the abuse she had initially told her mother about, as well as another instance where Gonzales had made her touch him inappropriately.
While the 12-year-old was at Scotty's House, she also received counseling, according to the report.
At Gonzales's trial on Monday, Jan. 30, he pled guilty to the charges, preventing the victim from being required to give her recount of the abuse, according to the release. Gonzales is also charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child in Frio County, south west of the San Antonio area.
"When a child discloses abuse, the best thing a parent can do is to believe them," said Assistant District Attorney Kara Comte. "Thankfully, the mother of the child in this case believed her and took her to the authorities who were able to bring this man to justice."
Comte also emphasized how important it is for victims to be heard.
“The only way we find out about these types of cases is when a child feels brave enough or strong enough or ready to disclose that abuse," explained Comte. "Because otherwise, it’s just something they hold inside of them and what their parent or teacher or counselor or whoever they disclose the abuse to does with that information is kind of important and critical in determining where we go on these cases.”