Molina’s actions first came to light in 2020 when two young women bravely came forward to law enforcement after discovering disturbing text messages on their relative’s phone. The text messages between Molina and his then-girlfriend included graphic sexual language involving a 10-year-old girl and sending sexual pictures of the child. The Atascosa County Sheriff's Office acted quickly to have the children at the house interviewed by the child advocacy center and investigators interviewed the defendant. While interviewing the defendant, Sgt. Albert Garza and Cpt. Max Peralta seized Molina’s cell phone. During a search of the phone, investigators discovered other images of child pornography.
Prosecutors worked diligently with cell phone forensic investigators at the Atascosa County Attorney’s Office, Sgt. Garza with the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office, child exploitation investigators at the Texas Attorney General’s Office, forensic interviewers with the Children’s Alliance of South Texas, and Doctor Lara Spiller at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio to prosecute the case. The case was tried before a jury who returned a verdict of guilty in less than 15 minutes. This sent a clear message that Atascosa County has no tolerance for these crimes. A sentencing hearing was held on 7/24/24. Prosecutors proved that Molina was a habitual offender, which enhanced his punishment from 2-10 years in prison to 25-99 years or life on each count. Two witnesses also testified that Molina had sexually abused them when they were 11-12 years old while living in Dallas. The Honorable Judge Dillingham sentenced Molina to 68 years on each of the 6 counts of Possession of Child Pornography, and ordered the sentences to run consecutively or ‘stacked.’ Our office is grateful for the dedication and hard work of the above agencies in seeing that child abuse is prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. Prosecutors Ryan Wright and Erika Price should be commended for their aggressive prosecution. Child Pornography is more than just images; it is documented child abuse. Molina’s prior criminal history allowed a sentence more fitting for the crime and will ensure he is never outside of the prison walls again. This sentence sends a resounding statement about our community’s and office’s response to such heinous acts.
