A jury has sentenced 41-year-old Christopher Gonzalez of Frisco to 40 years in prison for continuous sexual abuse of a child.
As stated in a news release from the Collin County District Attorney’s Office, Gonzalez had ongoing access to the child due to a relationship with the child’s family.
The 41-year-old began abusing the child when she was just 9 years old. He abused the victim for a period of 2 years until she was 11.
When the child was 11, she told her school counselor about the abuse, which the counselor then reported to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the news release, investigators Olivia Penson, Jason Evans, and Chris Fontana with the Collin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
The child also underwent a forensic interview at the Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center, where she revealed the full details of the ongoing abuse.
“We are so proud of this child for reporting years of abuse to a trusted school counselor and for bravely testifying against the abuser in court,” said Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis after Gonzalez’s sentencing.
On the first day of trial, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child.
A sentence for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child carries a prison term without the possibility of parole. The jury determined Gonzalez’s punishment would be 40 years in prison, according to the news release.
Judge Rayburn Nall presided over the jury trial.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Ashleigh Woodall and Steven Chapa. They were assisted by Legal Secretary Shaunette Bronson, Victim Assistance Coordinator Casey Hendrix, and District Attorney Investigator Gregory Bowers.
