On January 19, 2023, the defendant, Charles Cisneros, walked into the Karnes County Sheriff’s Office and confessed to molesting his step-daughter while being married to her mother. The victim suffered years of unimaginable trauma and abuse at the hands of this defendant but bravely told the forensic interviewer at the Children’s Alliance of South Texas, Child Advocacy Center about the nightmare she had endured.
On May 6, 2024, the defendant pled guilty to a cap of 40 years in prison to Aggravated Sexual Assault. With this plea agreement, the child did not have to testify and relive her trauma and the defendant also waived his right to appeal. While the victim’s mother was unaware of the abuse of her child, she bravely testified at the sentencing hearing. On June 11, 2024, after reviewing the Pre-Sentence Investigation Report prepared by the Karnes County Probation Office and hearing argument from ADA Vasquez, the Honorable Judge Dillingham sentenced the defendant to 40 years in prison. The victim in the case also wrote a powerful letter that the Judge was able to read and consider for sentencing. The defendant will have to serve at least 20 years before being eligible for parole.
Thank you to Karnes County Investigator Chad Adams, Probation Unit Manager Veronica Garza and Assistant District Attorney Audrey Vasquez for ensuring that justice for our victim and protecting the community. Hopefully now, our brave and courageous victim can get the closure she truly deserves. We thank her for her bravery!
