A San Antonio man convicted of sexually abusing a child for six months was sentenced to 55 years in prison.
Efren Moreno, 33, was charged with Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child and Indecency with a Child by Contact. The crimes happened between March 1st – July 4th, 2020 and involved a girl who was under the age of 14 at the time. During the trial, the victim testified Moreno sexually assaulted and groped her while he was a guest in her home. The jury in the 399th District Court deliberated nearly eight hours before returning with a not guilty verdict on the Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child charge and a guilty verdict on the Indecency with a Child by Contact charge.
At sentencing Monday, Judge Frank Castro found Moreno to be a habitual offender for his two previous felony drug convictions and ordered Moreno to serve 55 years in the Texas Department of Corrections – Institutional Division.
“People who prey on our children have no place in our community. Most child sex offenders are not strangers. They are someone the family knows. This young girl’s family invited this defendant to stay in their home, never expecting he would do these terrible things to this child. While this defendant is serving his time, I hope this family is able to heal from this,” said Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales.
Moreno must serve at least half of his sentence before he is first eligible for parole. He will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Assistant District Attorneys Steven Speir and Bridgett Clay of the Family Violence Division prosecuted this case. The San Antonio Police Department investigated the crime.