Hays County jury convicts 27-year-old of sexual assault

SAN MARCOS -- Hays County Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins announced that a Hays County jury found 27-year-old William Perez guilty of sexual assault in the 207th Judicial District Court last week.

Perez was charged with sexually assaulting his girlfriend on Jan. 8, 2023, at an apartment on Peques Street in San Marcos. The girlfriend called 911 police immediately after the assault and was able to show police text messages in which Perez, after being told that she didn’t want to have sex, texted her and said he was going to rape her, according to a county news release.

The evidence at trial showed that Perez sexually assaulted her when she refused to comply with his demands, the release continued. Police then interviewed Perez and he admitted that he forced her to have sex with him. Perez testified in the trial and claimed that he “encouraged” his girlfriend to have sex and succeeding in convincing her to.

The same jury returned a verdict of 10 years in prison; however, they recommended that the judge suspend the sentence and place him on community supervision. The case is set for formal sentencing in March.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Cyrus Morgan and Rowan St. John. Following the verdict, Morgan said, “In this case, justice prevailed because of the courage of the victim. We owe a sincere thanks to the Hays County citizens that served on this jury and dutifully followed the law and considered the evidence in the case.”

Higgins said that the Hays County Criminal District Attorney’s Office will continue to work diligently to hold those that engage in sexual violence accountable, including cases where there is or was a dating or intimate relationship between the offender and the survivor of the sexual assault.