MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — Two men were convicted and sentenced to prison for sexual abuse of children in two separate trials in McLennan County the week of June 28, according to the McLennan County District Attorney's Office.
According to the McLennan County DA's Office, 42-year-old Ruben Arredondo and 36-year-old Julio Arellano-Alvarez were both convicted and sentenced to multi-decade sentences in their respective trials.
Arredondo was convicted of seven charges, stated the DA's Office, including four counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of indecency with a child and two counts of prohibited sexual conduct, all of which are second-degree felonies with a sentence range of 2-20 years in prison.
Prosecutors said Arredondo "repeatedly perpetrated acts of abuse against the victim" over a period of years, but were unable to charge him with continuous sexual abuse of a child because the victim was over 14 at the time of the abuse.
After finding Arredondo guilty on all counts, the jury assessed the maximum possible sentence of 20 years on each charge, said the DA's Office. Judge Thomas West ordered that six of Arredondo's sentences would run concurrently, with the seventh stacking on top of the others.
Arredondo’s case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Jessica Washington and Mark Martinez.
Arellano-Alvarez was convicted by a different jury of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, stated the DA's Office.
Prosecutors said Arellano-Alvarez sexually abused a 12-year-old family acquaintance over a three-month period.
After convicting Arellano-Alvarez, the DA's Office stated the jury imposed a sentence of 35 years in prison. By law, the punishment range for continuous sexual abuse of a child is 25 years to life with no parole, according to the DA's Office, meaning Arellano-Alvarez must serve the entire 35-year sentence.
Arellano-Alvarez’s case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Tara Avants and Luke McCowan.
“As prosecutors, we have no greater duty than protecting McLennan County’s children," said McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens in a statement. "Our office will continue to relentlessly hold child molesters accountable and remove them from our community.”
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