A Navarro County Jury in the 13th District Court found Billy Mark Viguerias guilty on the charge of the Continuous Sexual Assault of a Young Child on Thursday.
According to Navarro County District Attorney Will Thompson, “Key to the success in this case was the brave testimony of the victim, who had the difficult task of describing the abuse that started when she was 5 years old and spanned multiple counties, numerous houses, apartments, and motels over a period several years.”
Jurors heard from Dr. Lydia Bailey of the Navarro County Children’s Advocacy Center during the prosecution’s presentation.
Dr. Bailey explained key concepts surrounding why children delay in disclosing sexual abuse and walked the jury through the sensory details of the victim’s statement.
Corsicana Police Detective Whitney Hawk investigated the matter, finding some of the locations where the abuse took place corroborating the victim’s accusation.
The case, prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Andrew Wolf and Assistant District Attorney Jacob Shaw, highlighted the challenges with delayed outcries of sexual abuse by children.
Thompson continued, “As with most such cases, there was no physical evidence and witnesses struggled to recall supporting details of a decade old offense. This is because of the defendant’s grooming and intimidation which kept the victim from disclosing the abuse until nearly five years had passed.”
Viguerias, 40, took the stand, denied the allegations and insisted the victim was lying.
Viguerias’ defense attorney made an agreement with the Navarro County District Attorney’s office, and will serve each day of his 35-year sentence at the Texas Department of Corrections.
The victim above all else, wishes for privacy, time to move forward, and is excited for her future academic endeavors.
District Attorney Will Thompson stated, “This is a despicable crime and the investigation, prosecution and trial are always extremely difficult. The district attorney would like to thank the Corsicana Police, the Navarro County Child Advocacy Center and the jury for the effort that they put into serving justice in this case.”