Texas man who impregnated ex-girlfriend’s teenaged daughter gets life in prison
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A construction worker who impregnated his former girlfriend’s daughter after sexually abusing her for five years was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday.
Jurors in Waco’s 54th State District Court deliberated about 30 minutes before finding Milton Geovany Valle, 45, guilty of continuous trafficking of a person.
Valle chose to have Retired State District Judge Ralph Strother assess his punishment, which could have ranged from a minimum of 25 years in prison up to life.
At least six jurors returned to the courtroom following their release from jury duty to see what punishment Strother would mete out.
Assistant District Attorney Tara Avants, who prosecuted the case with Kristi DeCluitt and who asked Strother for a life sentence, said she appreciates the jury’s service and guilty verdict.
“We are equally grateful to the court for rendering justice by the punishment verdict,” Avants said. “We hope the resolution of this case allows the victim to obtain some level of freedom from the continuous trafficking and abuse she has endured.”
After Strother sentenced Valle to life in prison, Valle, speaking with the assistance of Spanish interpreter Dan Carroll, insisted he is innocent and called the outcome “an unjust verdict.” Valle did not testify during the trial.
Valle’s attorney, Jessi Freud, asked the judge for a term in the range of 25 to 40 years. She said Valle has similar charges pending against him in Ellis County involving the same victim and that he will be transferred to Waxahachie to await those charges following the trial.
Trial testimony showed Valle sexually abused the girl when she, her mother and younger sister lived in Ellis County. Once the mother broke up with Valle and moved her family to Axtell, she brought Valle back into their lives by allowing him to pick up the girl, who was 14 at the time, on weekends and take her to his home in Irving.
By finding Valle guilty of continuous trafficking of a person, the jury found that Valle drove the girl to Irving for the purpose of sexually assaulting her at least two or more times during a period that was 30 days or more from Jan. 1, 2016, to Feb. 28, 2019.
The girl, who is now 18, testified Tuesday that Valle would shower her with gifts like electronic tablets, cell phones, clothes, shoes and cash, in the two to three weekends a month that she went to Dallas County with him for about nine months.
She testified that she didn’t know she was pregnant until she went to the emergency room with leg and back pains when she was 15 in November 2019. She told the jury that having the baby was a bright spot in her young life after suffering years of sexual abuse by Valle.
The girl’s younger sister testified Tuesday she witnessed Valle sexually assaulting her sister on at least two occasions in Ellis County. She said she reported it to her mother, but her mother chose not to believe her.
A forensic analyst testified DNA tests confirmed Valle is the boy’s father.
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