Man Sentenced to Eleven Years in Touching Case
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Aug 5, 2011, 0 Comments
Courtesy Monica Garcia,
(Laredo, Tx)-The Office of District Attorney Isidro R. Alaniz reports that Jose Echeverria was sentenced to eleven years in prison on Tuesday afternoon after entering a guilty plea to Three Counts of Indecency with a Child by Contact, a second degree felony.
The defendant entered his plea in the 406th District Court seven years after having violated a child entrusted to his care. The offense occurred in June of 2004 when the child was just four years old. In 2010, the child out cried to an adult at school, which led to an LPD investigation and the arrest of Echeverria.
The investigators at the Laredo Police Department worked closely with the Children’s Advocacy Center to secure the testimony of the child and corroborating statements that were presented to the Advocacy Center’s Multi-Disciplinary Team that approved the warrant for Echeverria.
Ramon A. Villafranca, Jr., Chief Prosecutor for the Special Victims Unit, stated that the child remained silent for years; harboring a secret for fear that it would tear the family apart. “It is tremendously difficult for a child to bear such a burden…to hold such a dark secret for so long. It took tremendous courage for the child to come forward and report the abuse.”
District Attorney Isidro R. Alaniz added his praise for the LISD educator that responded to the child’s outcry. “Audiences of teachers, principals and school counselors have heard the message of empowerment as part of the ‘One with Courage’ campaign. Through a partnership between the District Attorney’s Office, the Laredo Police Department and the Children’s Advocacy Center, we are making individuals aware of their rights and their obligations; individuals have a right to live free from harm and they have a responsibility to report abuse.”
