Dayton man facing life sentence for sexual assault of 13-year-old girl

DAYTON, TX (KTRK) -- A 25-year-old Dayton man, Ryan Lee Esters, is facing 5-99 years or life in prison on two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child. Esters was found guilty on both counts on Wednesday, May 18, in the 253rd State District Court of Judge Chap Cain.

Jury selection was conducted on Monday, May 16. After extensive questioning by Liberty County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Poston and counsel for the defendant, Keaton Kirkwood, an impartial jury of seven women and five men was selected.

Testimony and presentation of the evidence began on May 17 and concluded on May 18. The testimony revealed that the 13-year-old girl's parents discovered the sexual relationship between their daughter and the defendant when the victim's mother found her daughter's Facebook account open on the home computer. Messages on that Facebook account written to another child contained details of the sexual relationship between the defendant and the victim. The child's mother then confronted the child and the child gave outcry to having sex with defendant on more than one occasion.

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