by | Published
Cory Grado, 23, of San Marcos, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for sexual assault and invasive visual recording, announced Hays County Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins.
On March 20, 2025, a jury found Grado guilty of the charges. Evidence presented at trial showed that Grado recorded himself sexually assaulting the victim. A search of Grado’s phone by the San Marcos Police Department revealed numerous graphic images and videos of the assault, as well as close-up photos of the victim’s intimate areas.
During the punishment phase of the trial, the victim, her boyfriend, and her mother testified about the traumatic impact of Grado’s crimes. The jury sentenced Grado to 17 years in prison for sexual assault and the maximum two years in state jail for invasive visual recording.
The San Marcos Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Miranda Ebersole and Elizabeth Schmidt prosecuted it.
"We asked the jury to send a message that these crimes are not tolerated in our community, and that is what they have done with their verdict,” said ADA Schmidt. “We want to thank the jurors for their service, especially since they had to review very disturbing evidence. We also want to thank the victim in this case for her bravery and for having the strength to face the defendant in court.”
District Attorney Kelly Higgins thanked the investigators, prosecutors, and jurors for their work in bringing Grado to justice.
