Man facing 2 life sentences for torturing girlfriend's young children in SW Houston, DA says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A judge has sentenced a 45-year-old man to two life sentences in prison for severely abusing his romantic partner's two children for a year, according to Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.

Houston man Victor Prado was found guilty on two counts of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony.

Prado was dating a woman with two small children, ages 3 and 4 at the time, and allowed them to live in a commercial office building in the 900 block of Cook Road where he worked as the owner of a moving company in southwest Houston.

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Officials said Prado would watch the children while their mother went to work.

In May 2020, Child Protective Services caseworkers began investigating allegations about the children and removed them from their mother's custody before having them evaluated at Texas Children's Hospital.

An investigation by HPD began after the little boy, who was now five years old, was severely malnourished and weighed 32 pounds. Medical personnel testified during the six-day trial that the child looked like a skeleton. He suffered broken bones that were in different healing stages and had permanent brain tissue loss.

The young girl, witnesses said, had been beaten and had severe blunt-force trauma injuries such as broken ribs and a severe intestinal injury. She also had bed sores.

Both children had ligature marks on their hands, wrists, ankles, and feet that left permanent scarring. According to doctors who examined the victims, both sustained pelvic injuries only seen in children who were in car accidents.

Their injuries were classified as "child torture," which was defined in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma as: "At least two physical assaults, occurring over at least two incidents or a single extended incident, which would cause prolonged physical pain, emotional distress, bodily injury or death and least two elements of psychological abuse such as isolation, intimidation, emotional/psychological maltreatment, terrorizing, spurning or deprivation."

A jury heard the evidence and convicted Prado.

"At a time in their lives when they should have been shown love and affection, these two children were shown violence and fear - they've lost their innocence," Assitant District Attorney Ashela Sheridan said. "They will have to live the rest of their lives with the effects of what this man did to them, and so should he."

According to officials, Prado must serve at least 39 years before will be eligible for parole. The two life sentences will run concurrently.