Augustin Perez was charged with Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child after repeatedly sexually assaulting a child from the ages of 6 to 7 years old who was a family member. Jury selection began Monday, February 24th and yesterday, after hearing the strong, detailed testimony of the child, a Karnes County jury found the defendant guilty of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child under the age of 14, and sentenced Perez to 50 years in prison and assessed a maximum fine of $10,000. Due to the nature of the charge, the defendant is required to serve his full 50-year sentence and will be 84 years old upon his release.
The victim's extraordinary courage in speaking out about the abuse, testifying in court, and, following the conviction, confronting the defendant for taking the victim’s childhood away, demostrates an unwavering strength and bravery that is truly inspiring. We are grateful to the counselor at Children’s Alliance of South Texas for providing the support needed to help the survivor navigate the trial process and begin the healing journey toward a brighter future.
We also extend our gratitude to Children’s Alliance of South Texas for their victim advocate and their role in conducting the forensic interview, which provided crucial details that allowed for the successful prosecution. The Karnes City Police Department conducted the investigation, with Assistant District Attorneys Ryan Wright and First Assistant Leslie Carranza, Investigator Roland Trevino, and Victim Assistance Coordinator Katie Quinney working diligently to ensure justice was served and to safeguard the well-being of the survivor.
We are truly grateful to the jury. While our office lives in a world of seeing and dealing with these and other heinous crimes daily, we recognize it is difficult for those outside of our world to listen to such disgusting acts. We are thankful for their attentiveness and decision to protect the free world from this child predator.