The plea agreement between 40 year old Gonzalo Gonzales and the district attorney’s office includes a lifetime protection order for the victim. Gonzales is also required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Prosecutors say the victim was 12 when she reported the abuse to her mother, who in turn contacted Bryan police.
Gonzales is also charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child in Frio County, south of San Antonio, which is where he was living at the time of his arrest on the Brazos County charges in May of 2021.
News release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office:
Gonzalo Gonzales, 40, pled guilty to two counts of Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact yesterday and was sentenced to 15 years in prison on one count and 10 years in prison on the second count. As part of the plea agreement, those two prison sentences will be served consecutively.
In July of 2020, a 12 year old girl reported to her mother that Gonzales had touched her in a sexually inappropriate way when she was 8 or 9 years old. Her mother reported the abuse to the Bryan Police Department.
As part of the investigation, the child was interviewed at Scotty’s House, where she also received counseling. During the interview, the child described the abuse that she had initially reported to her mother, as well as an incident in which Gonzales had made her touch him inappropriately.
When interviewed, the defendant denied the allegations, telling police the child would have come forward sooner if the abuse had actually occurred. The State was prepared to call an expert at trial to describe the delay in disclosure of abuse and the frequency with which it occurs.
Gonzales’ plea of guilty prevented the victim from being required to testify in court and relive the abuse. Additionally, the victim’s family was consulted prior to the plea and was in agreement with the resolution of the case.
Gonzales is also charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child in Frio County, Texas.
Assistant district attorney Kara Comte issued the following statement: “When a child discloses abuse, the best thing a parent can do is to believe them. 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.”