by | Published
SAN MARCOS, Texas - Richard Santa Ana, 44, was sentenced to a total of 218 years in prison by Hays County District Court Judge Joe Pool after being found guilty of multiple counts of sexual offenses against a minor. The sentencing occurred on November 7.
Following a bench trial, Santa Ana was found guilty of:
Two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
One count of Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact
Judge Pool ordered the sentences to run consecutively, or "stacked," meaning Santa Ana must serve each sentence one after the other. The lengthy sentence reflects the court's stance against his unremorseful behavior.
Abuse: The conviction proved that Santa Ana had repeatedly drugged and sexually assaulted the teenage daughter of a friend.
Prior History: During the punishment phase, testimony was heard from a previous victim whom Santa Ana had sexually assaulted in 2007, demonstrating a pattern of offending.
Conditions: Santa Ana must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, and a lifetime protective order was issued for the victim.
Lead prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Abigail Whitaker, stated that the request for a stacked sentence was to "make sure he wouldn’t be able to reoffend again," noting that the defendant had already shown he wouldn't be rehabilitated.
The case was investigated by Kyle Police Department Detective Jerritt Bean and included scientific analysis from the Texas Department of Public Safety and other agencies.
