SUBMITTED REPORT
Hays County juries are sending a strong message to those who commit crimes against children, said Hays County District Attorney Sherri Tibbe.
Most recently, Hays County District Judge Jack Robison presided over a jury that handed down a sentence of 85 years with no parole for Juan Jose Rosa, a 33-year-old man living in Kyle, who committed continuous sexual abuse of a six-year-old.
Last month, a Hays County jury also sentenced Armando Hernandez, a 66-year-old man from Kyle, to serve life without parole for continuous sexual abuse of a young child. In addition, Christina Lyons, a 33-year-old woman from Kyle, received life without parole after a Hays County jury convicted her for the murder of a 10-week-old infant.
The cases were handled by the Hays County District Attorney’s Family Justice Division, which specializes in the prosecution of cases that involve family violence or sexual abuse. Assistant District Attorneys Amy Lockhart and Cathy Compton prosecuted the cases.
“My goal in forming the Family Justice Division was to have prosecutors who specialized in this very difficult area of criminal law, so that we would see these child predators held accountable and sent to prison, where they can do no more harm for a very long time,” Tibbe said. “The success of these prosecutions illustrates that our Family Justice Division is a great success in getting child predators out of our community.”
