STAFF REPORTS
Austin resident Jimmy Duran Lopez pled guilty to 18 counts of child sexual abuse last week and is expected to be sentenced to at least 25 years to life in prison for each count on Sept. 13, officials say.
Lopez, 37, pled guilty to 13 counts of aggravated sexual assault of child and five counts of sexual assault of a child. The abuse started when the child was 8-years old and spanned for six years, the Hays County District Attorney’s Office said.
In addition, Lopez pled true to allegations that he had previously been convicted of two felonies. By doing so he now faces a sentence ranging from a minimum of 25 years to a maximum of life in prison on each count, the DA’s office says.
District Judge Jack Robison set the case for a punishment hearing on Sept. 13 at which time he will assess punishment and determine whether Lopez will serve the 18 sentences consecutively or concurrently, according to the DA’s office.
