SAN MARCOS — The office of Hays County Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins announced that, following conviction by a Hays County jury of multiple counts of sex offenses June 15, Hays County District Judge Alicia Key sentenced 41-year-old Reginald Clifton to life sentences on all four counts Monday, Aug. 10. Key ordered three life sentences to run concurrently, with the fourth sentence stacked on top of the others, making it consecutive life sentences.
The jury convicted Clifton of sexual assault, sexual performance by a child, attempted aggravated sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault after a six-day trial, according to a news release.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Clifton, while working as a manager at the Jack in the Box in Kyle, hired teenage girls, gained their trust — as well as the trust of some of their families — and provided them alcohol on and off the job to perpetrate sexual offenses against them, the release continued. The indictment included charges related to three different young women who were 17 and 18 years old at the time Clifton assaulted them.
The punishment hearing showed that Clifton had begun a relationship with a 16-year-old female employee and, when that relationship ended, Clifton then preyed on other teenage female employees. The evidence showed that Clifton also committed domestic violence against two other women during the same timeframe as the sexual assaults. The judge heard evidence of Clifton’s past, including convictions for assault, assault on a peace officer, retaliation, robbery and aggravated robbery. The evidence showed that during the aggravated robbery, Clifton shot a man and was later sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2009.
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Ashley Indelicato and Shelby Griffin prosecuted the case.
Indelicato said, “The jury’s guilty verdicts told the defendant they saw him for who he is: a predator and a rapist. More importantly, the verdicts told the survivors of these offenses they were not only heard, but believed. The judge’s sentence gave these young women the peace of mind they deserve by knowing this predator will never harm them or any other young woman again.”
“These young women showed courage by coming forward to law enforcement and throughout this case. We appreciate their strength and the bravery it took to tell the truth about what this defendant did to them. Judge Key’s sentence definitely delivered the message that Hays County will not tolerate sexual predators, especially those with a violent criminal history who prey on vulnerable teens,” said Griffin.
Officers from the San Marcos and Kyle Police Departments worked on the case, with detective Elrod and detective Carrasco leading the investigation. In addition to the prosecutors, the state’s trial team included victim assistance coordinator Angela Brant, digital media evidence legal assistants Kendall Evans and Tenzin Paa and law clerk Brody Burleson, with assistance from ADA Christopher Powell.
