The report of one child being molested ends with a Bryan man going to prison for sex crimes against three young girls.
39 year old Rafael Cruz-Ambriz was convicted of indecency of a child by sexual contact.
Assistant District Attorney Kevin Capps says that victim was attacked when she was between the ages of 5 and 14. Capps says that became known during a Bryan Police investigation in the summer of 2009 involving a second victim.
Assistant DA Kevin Capps crediting Bryan PD.
The prosecutor says the jury took only 11 minutes to convict Cruz of the crimes against the first victim. During the punishment phase, the second and a third victim testified Cruz molested them when they were 10 and 14. The jury spent one hour and 20 minutes before deciding on a 17 year prison term, which is near the maximum of 20 years.
Capps says Cruz then admitted to the crimes against the other victims. In exchange for the girls and their families not going through two more trials, all of Cruz’s punishment will be served at the same time. Capps says the victim’s families supported that recommendation.
Capps says the attacks against the first victim took place between 1990 and 1999. She didn’t tell police until 2009. The prosecutor says what happened to Cruz-Ambriz sends a signal to other victims that it’s not too late to make a report.
Comments from Kevin Capps on the importance of victims reporting crimes.
Capps says legislation was passed this year increasing the amount of time, from the age of 28 to 38, that someone can report they were the victim of the crime of indecency of a child by sexual contact.