On Thursday, a judge sentenced 42-year-old Ismael Ruiz Jr. to 33 years in prison after being convicted of continuously raping a child over a seven-year period.
Ruiz was convicted for continuous sex abuse of a child on Friday. He is also charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact, regarding a second victim, and sexual assault of a child regarding a third victim.
In 2021, officials received a report of child abuse occurring in Bayou Vista.
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According to evidence presented in court, Ruiz is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting several girls between the ages of 11 and 17 from 2013 through 2020, including a 13-year-old girl he says he was dating when he was 26 years old.
The trial got underway on Sept.18. Four of the child victims spoke before the jury for about 10 days, reliving their sexual and physical abuse.
The mother of the four victims, and a fifth victim who alleged to have been sexually assaulted by Ruiz as a child also testified before the jury.
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In fact, Ruiz showed the court a seven-minute video he made of himself sexually abusing one of the children as evidence, claiming that the sex was consensual.
Prosecutor Kate Willis explained in closing arguments that Ruiz used threats, bribery, and violence to prey toward the children. The jury found Ruiz guilty for the continuous sexual abuse of a child and injury to a child. After the guilty verdict, Ruiz claimed a sudden health problem, and the trial was recessed.
"This monster has forced these children to relive their nightmare for two weeks, they will never escape the memory of the things he forced upon them," Willis said in court. "He has given them a life sentence, their first touch with their future husband they will think of him, when they have their first child and know they would never hurt them, they will think of him."
According to the DA's office, Ruiz is not eligible for parole.