BRYAN, Texas — A man that was discovered to have sexually assaulted a 29-year-old woman with down syndrome has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, according to the Brazos County District Attorney's Office.
In March 2022, the victim revealed to her doctor in an appointment to have genital pain examined, was discovered to have had a sexually transmitted disease. According to experts, the victim has the mental abilities of a third grader.
When the victim's aunt learned she had an STD, she asked how she could have gotten it. The victim said she and her stepfather, Henry Craig Tates, 30, had sex with her. Tests after the initial appointment confirmed that Tates, the victim, and her mother had the same STD.
The victim was given additional help at Baylor Scott & White and Scotty's House for a sexual assault exam and an interview with authorities respectively about what she had experienced. While the victim was being examined at Baylor Scott & White, she shared details of the assault, telling staff that she feared she would not be believed. The victim went into further detail of the assault at Scotty's House, describing "forcible acts" where Tates sexually assaulted her and groped her.
Tates admitted to a Bryan Police officer in a later interview that the victim couldn't consent to sex because she had Down Syndrome and because "he was a father figure in her life." He also admitted to sexually assaulting the victim on a number of other encounters, even admitting to "digital penetration."
Tates' 30-year sentence for two counts of Sexual Assault of a Disabled Individual will include a lifetime protective order for the victim, according to the district attorney's office.
"Taking advantage of this young woman is disgraceful," said Assistant District Attorneys Kristin Burns and Ryan Golden in a press release. "Protecting her and others from his predatory nature is our honor."
