A sexual predator was discovered by one of his victim’s parents after they found a letter their daughter wrote to God disclosing the abuse.
Mark Elliot Jones, 49, was subsequently arrested and sentenced to 35 years in prison for continuous sexual abuse of a child. He was sentenced without the possibility of parole.
“It is a sad day in the community when we learn that a sexual predator has been abusing even one innocent child for years,” said district attorney Greg Willis after sentencing. “But to learn that this predator sexually traumatized not one but two innocent children is simply unbearable.”
Having access to the children, Jones had sexually abused them for several years, according to Willis. The two victims were 10 and 14 years old.
After finding the letter their daughter wrote, one of her parents reported the information to law enforcement, whose investigation led to the discovery of the second victim.
McKinney Police Department Detective Zachary Craven is reported to have investigated the case. The victim was forensically interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, where both children disclosed details about the ongoing abuse.
By law, a sentence for continuous sexual abuse of a child is without eligibility for parole. Depending on the conviction, a misdemeanor conviction may result in sentencing for a few days, months, or up to a year in jail. Felony convictions commonly result in sentences of 10 or more years in prison.
Children’s Advocacy Center of Texas stated that of the 68,018 child victims served at a CAC in Texas in 2021, 98% knew the alleged perpetrator. Of these children, 45% were between the ages of 6 and 12, and 35% were male.
They also claimed that 1 in 10 children will potentially be sexually abused before their 18th birthday.