This charge carries a 25-year minimum served day for day, with no parole eligibility at all. The allegation is often years old before the accused learns what they are defending.
This is among the most serious accusations a person can face in the State of Texas. The punishment range is 25 to 99 years, with no parole eligibility at all.
Compare that to murder. Someone convicted of murder is eligible for parole at half of the sentence. Someone convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a child serves every single day of the sentence, and the minimum is 25 years. Even if a jury assesses the minimum, that is 25 years served day for day.
These cases are especially difficult because the allegation can be years old by the time the accused learns what they are actually defending against. Barrera Defense begins by identifying the alleged time period and the specific acts the state says occurred within it.
Citation: Texas Penal Code §21.02, officially titled Continuous Sexual Abuse of Young Child or Disabled Individual
Degree and classification: First-degree felony, 25 to 99 years or life, with no parole eligibility.
Statutory language: A person commits an offense if, over a period of 30 or more days, they commit two or more enumerated acts of sexual abuse against a victim who is a child under 14 or a disabled individual, while the actor is 17 or older. Note that the statute's title was expanded in 2021 to include disabled individuals.