by | Published
San Marcos, TX – A Hays County judge sentenced 50-year-old Jaime Espericueta of Liberty Hill to 75 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after a jury convicted him of continuous sexual abuse of a child, the Hays County Criminal District Attorney’s Office announced today.
On November 24, 2025, a jury found Espericueta guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child following a trial that presented evidence of him sexually abusing two different children over several years.
Espericueta elected to have punishment decided by the judge rather than the jury. During the punishment hearing on February 23, 2026, a third victim testified that Espericueta had also sexually abused her when she was a child. The State introduced additional evidence detailing the long-term traumatic effects of sexual abuse on victims.
After considering the testimony and evidence, Judge Alicia Key of the 483rd District Court sentenced Espericueta to 75 years in prison. Under Texas law applicable to continuous sexual abuse of a child, the defendant is not eligible for parole.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Elizabeth Schmidt and Miranda Ebersole.
“This was a case where the defendant spent years hiding his crimes of sexual abuse, often hiding behind his own family members for protection,” said Ebersole. “The bravery of the survivors in this case to speak out about the abuse and stand up to the defendant in court was inspiring. This case is a warning to other abusers that even though years go by, we will still hold them accountable for the abuse they inflict on children.”
The Hays County Criminal District Attorney’s Office commended the courage of the survivors who came forward and the collaborative work of law enforcement and victim advocates in securing the conviction and sentence.
